Tears of a Madman: A prelude to Cowboy Bebop
by DeadEye JoChan
Summary: This fic's about the events before Cowboy Bebop CHAP 14: read and find out
1. Stormy Monday Blues

I don't own Cowboy Bebop and I don't own the song "Stormy Monday Blues"  
  
  
  
"I hold a beast, an angel, and a madman in me, and my enquiry is as to their working, and my problem is their subjugation and victory, downthrow and upheaval, and my effort is their self-expression", -Dylan Thomas  
  
--------------------------------------------------------------------  
  
Mars. The place where everyone wants to go. The most happenin' planet in the galaxy. To live there is a paradise for the rich, but for the poor it's hell.  
  
As many stories begin this one began on a dark and stormy night.  
  
  
  
~They call it Stormy Monday~  
  
  
  
In a dirty alley, a mother lies dying of a gunshot wound, her child cradles her head in his lap. She smiles up at him. So brave. Too brave...children aren't supposed to be the brave ones. Children aren't supposed to have to deal with death and tragedy. Such innocence should not be torn away by gunshots in the night.  
  
"My dear Jonathan....I'm so sorry." She whispered to him with her last dying breath.  
  
  
  
~But Tuesday's just as bad~  
  
  
  
"Mama?" The tears that already mingled with the rain on his face began tumult down his chin and onto the face of the woman he once knew as 'mother.' "No mama...wake up...wake up!" But it was hopeless, nothing could bring her back now. The child sniffled and grew calm. He had seen death before, he knew it's presence. He had seen death on so many faces; the old man in the apartment next door, the woman who smoked cigarettes on the corner, waiting for a car to come. He understood that his mother would never sing him to sleep anymore, and he understood that he was now alone.  
  
  
  
~They call it Stormy Monday  
  
But Tuesday's just as bad.  
  
Lord, and Wednesday's worse  
  
And Thursday's all so bad~  
  
  
  
Session 1: Stormy Monday Blues  
  
  
  
Jack Spiegel, a man in his early sixties, boredly watches Jeopardy Survivor. He casually brings a bottle of whiskey to his mouth and takes a deep swallow.  
  
  
  
~The eagle flies on Friday~  
  
  
  
"Damn I feel like getting drunk tonight." He thinks to himself, while pondering the movement of a female contestant's breasts. He laughs softly to himself. "I think I will." He says outloud as the host's monotone voice asks the question: "What famous author from the 20th century wrote the book "Thinner" under the synonym Richard Bachman?" The girl with the boobs hits her buzzer. " Who is Andy Warhol?" "No, I'm sorry, that answer is incorrect. Anyone else?" A balding middle aged man presses his buzzer. "Who is Steven Ken?"  
  
  
  
~Saturday I go out to play~  
  
  
  
" You moron, it's Stephen KING. KING damnit!" Jack swears.  
  
"Correct! 500 to Randall! Uh, oh, Mary Sue, you're down to 100. Contestants, does she stay or does she go home? You have 30 seconds to decide." Jeopardy music starts playing.  
  
  
  
~The eagle flies on Friday~  
  
  
  
"Oh, come on, this guy doesn't know what the hell he's doing! Kick him off!" He hmphs angrily and takes another swig of whiskey.  
  
The jeopardy music comes to an end. " All right, contestants, have you made your decision?" The host asks. Just then, Jack hears a dog start barking. BARK! BARK! BARK! BARK!  
  
"Stein, shut the HELL up!" He yells, not bothering to move, hoping that the mutt'll just shut up and let things be for once. No such luck. BARK! BARK! BARK! BARK! Pushing himself up from his chair, he slanders over to the window.  
  
  
  
~Saturday I go out to play~  
  
  
  
"I thought I told you to SHUT THE HELL UP!" He notices Stein sitting at the base of a tree, looking up at something. Jack opens the door and makes his way over to where the dog sits wondering what the fuck's so goddamned important Stein wouldn't just leave him be.  
  
"What is it? A squirrel or something?" He looks up in the tree. At first all he sees is a dark figure, maybe a raccoon. The figure moves and he sees it's a kid of about six.  
  
  
  
~Sunday I go to church~  
  
  
  
"Hey, Kid. What'cha doin' in my tree?" He calls up to the boy. The kid doesn't answer but starts shoveling something in his mouth from some kinda lopesided bowl. Upon closer inspection Jack realizes that it's Stein's food bowl. "So that's why he got so worked up." He thinks to himself.  
  
"Kid, get down from there before you hurt yourself." He calls again. In response the boy throws down the now empty dog food bowl and attempts to climb higher in the tree.  
  
"Stupid kid. Well, it's your funeral." Jack shrugs and turns to go back in the house. Just then a branch breaks and the boy yelps as he falls to the ground. Jack walks over to him.  
  
"I told you so." He says as he picks up the now unconscious boy and throws him over his shoulder, carrying him into his house.  
  
  
  
~Gonna kneel down and pray~  
  
---------------------------------------------------------------------------- ---------------------------------------------------------------  
  
  
  
Light. A bright light.  
  
The boy winces as he comes to, lifting his hand to his face to shield his eyes from the overhead light.  
  
  
  
~Lord have mercy~  
  
  
  
"You awake kid?" Comes a voice from across the room. The boy jerks and attempts to leap from the bed only to yell in pain and fall on the floor when his ankle gives out.  
  
"You're lucky. It's only sprained." Jack says as he picks the boy up off the floor. "Don't worry, I'm not gonna hurt ya. You can stay here until your ankle's better."  
  
  
  
~Lord have mercy on me~  
  
  
  
The boy looks in disbelief at Jack as if amazed by his kindness. He nods and allows himself to be placed back on the bed.  
  
"So what's your name, kid?" Jack asks once the boy is situated. The boy pauses as if in thought, then shrugs.  
  
  
  
~Lord have mercy~  
  
  
  
"Can't you speak, boy?" The kid shrugs again, then lies down and goes back to sleep. Jack shrugs also and walks from the room to get some food for the boy when he wakes back up. "Sure is a strange one." He thinks, looking back at the boy.  
  
  
  
The boy tosses and turns, mumbling in his sleep. Stein, the dog, watches him worriedly from beside the bed. When Jack comes back into the room the boy wakes up and looks curiously at him. His stomach starts rumbling when he sees what Jack is holding in his hands. Food.  
  
  
  
~Lord have mercy on me~  
  
  
  
As the boy eats, Jack silently regards him. He couldn't just keep on calling the boy "Kid." He needs a real name. "Hmmm...Jake? No, that's too close to mine. Peter? No, he doesn't look like a Peter. He needs a tough name, a name that's alright for the streets." Jack ponders while watching the kid scarf down incredible amounts of food for his size. "Rufus? Now where did that come from? Rex? Sparky? Wait, these names kinda sound like dog names. Hmmm....I once had a dog named Spike. Spike? I wonder..."  
  
"Well, kid, I've decided to give you a name. What do ya think of Spike?" Jack asks suddenly.  
  
  
  
~Though I'm tryin' and tryin' to find my baby~  
  
  
  
The kid shrugs again, but this time there's a smile on his face.  
  
"Spike it is then."  
  
  
  
~Won't someone please send her home to me~ 


	2. Devorzhum

Hello. I am back. I don't own Cowboy Bebop or the song Devorzhum. Thank you.  
  
Jack hummed to himself as he worked underneath his car. After Spike had decided to take a little ride in it last week, Jack was worried that it would never be the same again.  
  
"What the hell did he do? Run over a couple buildings? Christ!" Jack thinks to himself as he inspects the bottom of the car. "The brakes are totally shot. Looks like I'll have to replace them." He groans as he pushes himself out from underneath the car, wiping perspiration from his forehead. As he stands up his stomach growls. "Guess I could do with some food," he says outloud.  
  
He walks into the kitchen and opens a cupboard. He pulls out a box of cereal, a bowl and a spoon. He goes to the refridgerator and looks for some milk. He doesn't see any. "Hmmm...I guess we're out."  
  
He goes back to the table and pours the cereal into the bowl. Or at least he tries to. He shakes the box over the bowl but nothing seems to be coming out. "Are we out of cereal too?" He goes back to the refrigerator and notices that most of the containers and cartons inside are empty or nearly so. "What's going on? I just went to the grocery store a couple of days ago! We can't be out of everything already!" He groans as his stomach growls again. "Well, I guess we'll just have to go get some more." He looks up as Spike walks into the room and goes to the fridge. Jack stops him saying, "Spike, did you eat all the food?" Spike opens the fridge, then closes it, shrugging. Jack snorts in annoyance. "You know Spike, you're more trouble than you're worth."  
  
Session 2: Devorzhum  
  
Jack grumbled as he crossed the street, Spike in tow. The kid seemed to have an attention span of approximately 2.6 seconds. Everytime Jack stopped to look at something or wait for a light, when he looked up Spike would be nowhere in sight and he would have to spend five minutes hunting him down. He'd usually find the kid in some store or another, or pissing in an alleyway, or hissing at some cat. It was getting fucking ridiculous. Jack was seriously considering bringing along handcuffs the next time they went out and cuffing Spike's hand to Jack's own hand.  
  
After a half hour walk, one that usually only took about five minutes, they finally reached market street. Jack grabbed Spike's hand, and made a resolve not to let go until they got back home. For the fifteenth time since that morning, Jack asked himself why he didn't just let Spike get lost. The kid obviously knew how to take care of himself, Jack guessed that he had been living on the streets for at least a year. But...that was one of the reasons why Jack wanted to keep the kid with him. No kid should have to live alone on the streets at Spike's age. It was a shame there were so many of them. But, if Jack could save just one, just one soul from a lifetime of eternal theft and vagrancy, then he should do that.  
  
However, in the back of his mind, Jack knew the real reason he kept Spike around was because he was lonely and because he had no family of his own. And quite frankly, he was getting attached to the little booger.  
  
Snapping out of his thoughts, Jack looked down as Spike pulled on his shirt. "What?" Jack asked. Spike grinned and showed Jack an injured bird that he had picked up somewhere along the way.  
  
"Where'd you get that?" Jack inquired as he inspected the bird's wing. Spike shrugged and pointed at the sidewalk. Jack surmised that the bird had probably been stepped on by someone, and couldn't move off the busy sidewalk until Spike picked it up. He had probably saved the bird's life. "Well, I guess we can take it home. But you're taking care of it." Jack said. Spike shrugged and gently put the bird in his pocket.  
  
___________________________________________________________  
  
Jack was paying for some apples when he heard the woman screaming. "Get back here you little runt!"  
  
"Hmm...I pity the poor kid who gets on Annie's bad side." Jack thought to himself as he watched Anastasia Tachsimova round the corner, waving her spatula. He smiled as he took his bag of apples from the checkout lady and put his wallet back in his pocket. "Hey, Spike! It's time to go home!" he called. When he didn't immediately see the youngster, he checked the aisles of the store, where he had last seen Spike playing with his bird. When he didn't see him, Jack started cursing again under his breath, earning some disapproving glares from an old lady who was doing her shopping. Then it clicked.  
  
"Oh shit."  
  
Jack started running off in the direction he had seen Annie go. He rounded the corner and ran right smack into Spike. "What the hell do you think you're doing!" Jack yelled at him. He picked Spike up and threw him over his shoulder like a sack of potatoes and started walking in the direction of Annie's store. "I can't believe you!" He yelled. "We are going back to Annie's store to apologize! I can't believe this!"  
  
When they reached the store Annie hadn't returned yet. "We are going to wait right here until she gets back so you can apologize." Jack told Spike. Spike just shrugged and took his bird out of his pocket. When Annie returned, he didn't even look up.  
  
Annie walked into her store and saw Jack standing there. "I'm sorry, we're closed... Oh! It's you, Jack! I didn't recognize you." She said when she saw Jack. Then she looked down and saw Spike. "You!" She screamed in fury and surprise. "How dare you come back here after stealing from me!"  
  
"He's here to return it."  
  
Annie looked up at Jack. "Oh. Is he yours?" She asked, placated knowing that they boy was with Jack.  
  
"Well, no. He just appeared in my backyard one day. Stein had chased him up a tree."  
  
"Oh. So he's a runaway?"  
  
"I guess. He doesn't talk."  
  
"Oh."  
  
Jack holds out his hand to Spike. Spike reaches into his pocket and pulls out a lighter, a pack of cigarettes, a glass ornament, and 12 packs of gum. Jack looks at it all in astonishment. "What do you need this stuff for?" Spike shrugs and begins wandering around. Jack shrugs and hands the junk back over to Annie.  
  
"Well, I guess we'll be going. I'll see ya later, Annie. Say hi to Mao for me." She nods and they leave.  
  
Back at the house. Jack was sitting backwards in a chair watching Spike. Spike was watching him back with an intense look on his face. "Spike. Do you do this kinda thing often? Stealing, I mean." Spike shrugs again and reaches into his shirt. He starts pulling out all sorts of things ranging from hairbrushes to bandaids, sandwiches, keys, a wallet here and there, someone's passport, cocaine, bubblegum balls, a walkie talkie, celery, carrots, candy, etc. Jack couldn't believe his eyes. How could the kid have gotten ahold of all this stuff? How could he be such a good pickpocket? What the hell was he going to do with a cleptomaniac living in the house! Jack looked back over at Spike who was looking at Jack expectantly. Something about how Spike was looking at him reminded Jack of a cat somehow.  
  
"You know Spike, when I named you I was thinking of a dog I once had. But now you're starting to remind me of my old cat." Jack looks over at Spike and notices that he looks a little peeved.  
  
"I'm not a cat." Spike says.  
  
Jack looks at him in disbelief. "I thought you couldn't talk kid."  
  
Spike shrugs. "I just didn't want to before." 


	3. Reject

Alright, time for session 3. I don't own Cowboy Bebop and I don't own the song Reject.  
  
Six years later...  
  
Spike yawns as he flips the page to the book he was reading, One Hundred Years of Solitude. So far it was pretty weird, Jose Arcadio had just run off to join the gypsies. Spike was pretty sure that he'd be back by the end of the book though.  
  
~Who are you to tell me  
  
What I am and what's my master plan.~  
  
Spike looks up in rage when the book is pulled away from him. He glares at the person who did it and realises it's his teacher, Ms. Jenson. She glares back at him and Spike slides back in his chair in response.  
  
"So reading this trash is more important than a high school education, hmmm...?" She looks down at him in disdain.  
  
~What makes you think that it includes you?  
  
Self righteous wealth, stop flattering yourself~  
  
"It's not trash. This book is a classic, but I suppose you wouldn't know that," Spike counters. Ms. Jenson starts flipping through the pages, her eyes widen as she reaches some of the....more classic parts. She slams the book shut. "This book is not suitable for a twelve year old, regardless of how classic, or how old you seem to think you are," she sneers. "I'm calling your father."  
  
"Go ahead. He's not going to care. He's the one who gave me the book," Spike says smirking. Ms. Jenson ignores him, and walks out of the room to call Jack.  
  
~So when the smoke clears here I am.  
  
Your reject all-American.~  
  
The other classmates begin snickering, happy that Spike was getting what "he deserves." None of them liked him and they resented the fact that he was twelve years old, and allowed to be in high school, with them. Spike knew how they felt about him, but was it really his fault that Jack had taught him too much? Spike had been homeschooled by Jack until some jerks from the department of education had come by to tell Jack that he needed a license to homeschool. Since Jack didn't really want to deal with government, (he seemed to think that some organization was out to get him and he didn't want attention drawn to him) Spike went to normal school, with all the normal kids. So far, he wasn't liking it too much.  
  
~Sucking up your social sect.  
  
Making you a nervous wreck.  
  
To hell and back and hell again I've gone.~  
  
Session 3: Reject  
  
Spike whistled as he walked along, his hands shoved in his pockets. He looks down and kicks a beer can that was in his way. As he looks up again he sees a group of jocks blocking his way. Nonchalant, Spike continues walking, pushing his way through them. One of them grabs his back pack and throws it on the ground. Spike turns and stares at the back pack, then up at the jock.  
  
"That wasn't very nice," Spike says, glaring up at him. The jock doesn't say anything, so Spike shrugs and reaches down to grab his back pack. At the last moment, Spike jerks away and watches as jocks launch themselves at where he just was.  
  
~What's the difference between you and me?~  
  
"Look, I'm just trying to go home. I'm not sure what it was I did to piss you off, but I'm sorry," Spike says as he glares at the two jocks, not looking very apologetic.  
  
"We want you to leave North High, we don't need stupid little wusses like you going to our school. Why don't you go back to Elementary School, you're not wanted here." the lead jock said, picking up Spike's backpack and throwing it at him. Spike catches it and sets it down next to him on the ground. "Trust me, I would leave if I could, but since I'm not allowed to drop out of school until I'm sixteen, you're going to be stuck with me a bit longer."  
  
~I do what I want, and you do what you're told.~  
  
"You stupid little kid, you think you're so smart don't you?" The jock glares at Spike. Spike glares back. "Normally I don't think of myself as smart, but next to you it's kinda hard."  
  
~So listen up and shut the hell up.~  
  
The jock's eyes narrow as he looks Spike over, then without any warning he throws himself at Spike. Spike watches calmly and moves out of the way at the last second. Surprised, the jock looses control of his momentum and goes crashing to the ground. He gets back up and rushes Spike again. Instead of dodging this time, Spike shoots his leg out and hits the jock in the chest. The jock goes down again, his friends watching in disbelief.  
  
~What's up with you?~  
  
"Oh, so the wuss knows kung fu." The jock says as he stands up. The other jocks surround Spike and prepare to close in when a cop car comes around the corner.  
  
~I'll see you in hell. ~  
  
"Oh, shit, it's a cop!" one of them yells, and the rest take off. Spike just stands there, watching the jocks run off. He walks over to where he left his backpack and slings it on. He starts to walk in the direction of Jack's house when the cop stops him.  
  
~So when the smoke clears here I am.~  
  
"Hey kid, were those guys bothering you?" the cop asked, eyes filled with concern.  
  
"Not really." Spike responds. He shoves his hands into his pockets and starts walking again. The cop stops him again. "Hey, kid! You want a ride home?"  
  
~Your reject all American.~  
  
Spike looks back at him, surprise etched on his face. "I guess that would be okay." he says, looking at the cop suspiciously. The cop smiles as Spike climbs into the passenger seat.  
  
"You know, I have a couple kids of my own," the cop says as they head towards Jack's. When they reach the house Spike hops out of the car, then turns and looks back at the cop. "How'd you know where I live?" He asks.  
  
"I'm a friend of Jack's. He asked me to look out for you."  
  
~Sucking up you social sect~  
  
Spike nods and heads back to the house. When he steps inside Jack looks over at him from the couch. "I got a call from your teacher."  
  
"Yeah, I know."  
  
~Making you a nervous wreck~  
  
"She said that you were reading porno in class."  
  
"No, just the book you lent me."  
  
Jack starts laughing. "I guess I can see how she would think that that was porn....So, what took you?"  
  
Spike shrugs, "I ran into some jerks on the way home. They picked a fight with me, but it didn't go anywhere." Jacks nods, "I thought something like that might happen so I got one of my friends---"  
  
"Yeah, I know. I met him. Seems like a nice guy." Spike interrupts.  
  
~To hell and back and hell again I've gone.~  
  
__________________________________________________  
  
~So when the smoke clears here I am.~  
  
Jack worriedly contemplated Spike. He had seemed down lately. It must be hard being so alone, but then again Spike had always been a loner. Jack wondered what he had been like before Jack found him in his backyard. If Spike had ever had a family besides him.  
  
~Your reject all American.~  
  
"Hey, Spike...Do you remember anything from... you know, before you came here?" Jack asks tentatively, not sure how Spike was going to react to the question. Spike ponders for a second. "No, not really. I remember being really hungry all the time and something about some lady. I think she had long green hair and pretty green eyes. I remember being happy when I was around her..." Spike's voice trailed off as he contemplated his feet.  
  
~Falling from grace,  
  
Right on my face.~  
  
Jack looks at him, knowing the boy must be fighting to keep from crying, and turns on the TV. As he sits back, watching some meaningless sitcom he thinks about the woman that Spike described. She sounded somewhat familiar to him.  
  
~To hell and back and hell again I've gone.~  
  
_____________________________________________________________  
  
alright, I'm just here to tell you that I'm sorry that the story is moving along kinda slowly. Don't worry, everything starts to pick up speed in the next episode. umm....well, that's it. bye! 


	4. Jack the Lion

I don't own Cowboy Bebop and I don't own the song Jack the Lion  
  
Four years later....  
  
  
  
"Just look at his technique, Spike! It's flawless!" Jack exclaimed, pointing at the screen. Spike nods completely taken in by the movie along with Jack even though they had both watched it hundreds of times. Most people found it kind of odd that they liked antique movies so much, but Jack knew that even if something was old, that didn't mean it didn't have any value. Take himself for instance. Even though he was now in his early seventies, he still looked and acted like he was merely fifty.  
  
Jack smiled to himself as he watched Spike leaning forward in his seat, watching the Bruce Lee movie, "How the years have flown. I can't believe I'm an old man now. And Spike's almost a man!" he thought to himself.  
  
"I remember when I found him in my back yard, chased up a tree, Stein barking at him from the bottom." Jack thinks, chuckling. " Damn, I miss that dog." He remembers when he found Stein dead at the foot of his bed. He remembers shaking the dog to wake him up, and feeling the cold body beneath his hand. "We all get old, I guess." He frowns and then pushes away the thought looking back at Spike, his only pride and joy. "I wonder what will happen to me, once you're gone, Spike." He thinks to himself. "You're not going to be around forever, for that matter neither will I. Besides soon, you're not going to need me anymore. You've gotta make your own way, no one can do that for you. Even so, when you're gone, I'm just going to be lonely old man again." He sighs.  
  
Spike looks at him, and shrugs. He reaches into his pocket and pulls out a cigarette and puts it into his mouth. He's about to light up when he realizes Jack's looking at him. "What?" Spike asks.  
  
"Since when have you been allowed to smoke those things?" Jack asks.  
  
Spike shrugs and lights the cigarette. Jack takes the cigarette out of his mouth and throws it in the waste basket. "You're too young to smoke those things." Spike smiles and pulls out another cigarette and hands it to Jack.  
  
"What's the problem?" Spike asks as Jack looks at the cigarette in bewilderment, obviously not expecting Spike to give it to him. "You smoke them, why can't I?" Jack frowns then laughs as Spike places another cigarette in his mouth and lights it, then gives the lighter to Jack.  
  
"All right, all right. I get the point. You're old enough to make your own decisions. I can't say that this is a good one to make though, you know." Jack says as he lights up his own cigarette.  
  
Spike shrugs, saying, "I'm already addicted to them, not much I can do now." They then sat in silence for the rest of the movie. When it was over, Spike announces that he's hungry and wanders over to the fridge. Jack watches him with a smirk on his face. He listens as the refrigerator door opens and says, "I think we're out of food, Spike." The door closes and Spike walks back into the room. "All right, fine, I'll get some more. Geez." Spike throws up his arms and stalks out of the room. Jack chuckles and picks up a book that was lying by the couch. It was kind of a custom they shared. Spike would eat all of the food in the house and Jack would refuse to buy anymore until Spike went out himself and got it. Then, according to custom, Jack would get a little reading done while he was gone. Even though Spike always made a big deal about, Jack knew he enjoyed going out alone. Jack supposed it made him feel more independent, more grown up.  
  
Jack smiled again as the door slammed.  
  
  
  
Session 4: Jack the Lion  
  
  
  
"Hmmm....I wonder if we're out of milk?" Spike thought to himself as he contemplated the dairy section. "Better not risk it," he thinks as he grabs a couple cartons and tosses them into his cart. He begins whistling the song "Rainy Day Women" by Bob Dylan as he walks down an aisle, picking out mostly carbohydrates and junk food. As he passes the liquor section Spike picks up a case of beer, knowing that the girl working the counter would let him get away with it because she had a bit of a crush on him.  
  
He chuckles to himself as he walks through the breakfast food aisle. Then he looks up he sees her. The most beautiful girl he had ever seen. Most people wouldn't have noticed her, even though she was quite pretty. She was one of those people who can avoid other people easily, someone who is merely a void in time. Spike notices her though, and at first he believes that his mind is playing tricks on him. He is sure that he has seen her somewhere before, that he knows her. She looks at him and recognition flashes in her eyes. The two stare at each other spellbound and a quiet seems to settle upon the store. The silence is broken with a sudden crash. Spike looks down and realizes that he had dropped everything that he had been carrying. When he looks up again, the girl is gone. Vanished as if she was never there at all.  
  
Spike feels his chest swell with disappointment, but at the same time he sighs with relief. That was just a little too weird, a little too strong for him too handle. And who knows? Maybe he just imagined the whole thing. He groans as he bends down to pick up his groceries, realizing that the beer bottles in the case he had been carrying had broken and were now leaking onto (and probably into) his cereal boxes and insta waffles. "Well, if she was real I probably just made a total ass of myself," he mutters under his breath.  
  
Just then one of the store employees comes around the corner and begins shrieking at him. "Arrgghh! Can't you be more careful! I can't believe I have to deal with this!" she screams. Spike merely ignores her and dumps his stuff into his cart, leaving the employee to pick up the mess, muttering something about how her life is already bad enough and she doesn't need jackasses creating more work for her.  
  
"Ummm...thanks..." Spike says to the employee before heading to the checkout.  
  
She replies sarcastically, "Yeah, sure. Anytime."  
  
Spike wanders to the checkout in a daze, images of the girl keep replaying in his mind. When he's in the middle of a line he sees her again, carrying a couple of plastic bags and walking out the doors of the grocery. She pauses just before pushing the door open, and looks back at him. Spike feels an odd bubbly feeling in his stomach as their eyes meet again. She smiles and then leaves. Spike rushes after her, leaving his cart in the middle of the line. He's not sure why he's going after her, she'll probably just think he's some kind of weirdo, but he has to know. What, he's not sure. Maybe all he needs to know is her name.  
  
When he gets outside he sees her get into a black car that's waiting for her. Spike watches as it drives away, and knows somehow in his gut that he'll see her again someday. When it rounds the corner, he sees her looking at him again. Maybe she knows it too.  
  
  
  
Spike whistles to himself as he walks down the winding, confusing, city streets that are only decipherable to those who live on them. For some reason he felt incredibly happy and nothing could bring him down. Not even the rain that began pouring down on him when he was about half way home.  
  
When he arrived at his house, Spike was still in a state of euphoria. He didn't even notice that the front door was wide open until he reached it.  
  
~Jack the lion roaring his last  
  
Like a vision sent from the past  
  
Beside crying, holding his hands  
  
Strong hands~  
  
---------------------------------------------------------------------------- ------  
  
  
  
Spike stands in the doorway, shock and fear quickly replacing the contentment he had felt just moments before. Spike shivers as he walks through the house, hardly noticing the destruction reaped upon the contents of the rooms. Only one thing was on his mind now, where was Jack? And was he still all right?  
  
Spike cautiously enters a room he hears noises coming from. He finds Jack in a corner with a gun in his hand, blood steaming from a hole in his chest.  
  
"Jack?" Spike asks, fearing that he won't get an answer.  
  
".....Spike? Is that you?" answers Jack after a few moments.  
  
"Jack, who did this to you?" asks Spike, trying to keep his panic from entering his voice.  
  
"Spike, let me tell you a story. There once was a young man who tried to carry the world on his shoulders. One day he dropped it and it fell apart," Jack coughs, then continues. "Spike, I don't want you to avenge me. I lived my life the way I wanted to. I have no regrets, except that I won't get to see you become a real man, with children of your own. If you only live for vengeance, you won't get to have those things." Spike is silent.  
  
"You're not going to listen to me are you, Spike." Jack coughs again. "You stubborn ass...." He smiles. "All right, I'll make it easy for you. It was the Black Tigers."  
  
Spike frowns. "The Black Tigers?"  
  
"Yeah, they're a crime syndicate that's been after me for a while...." Jack looks up at Spike who is cradling Jack's head in his lap. "Find love, Spike. Find a woman to love who'll love you back, and don't ever let her go. That was my only regret." Jack's eyes glaze over and Spike gently sets him down on the floor. Spike wishes he could cry, but the tears won't come.  
  
Spike walks around the house, taking one last look at the place he had called home for the last ten years. He goes to his room and stuffs some clothes in a duffel bag. As he's leaving he remembers some of the great times he and Jack had together, and goes and gets Jack's Bruce Lee collection and shoves that in the bag too. Slinging it over his shoulder, Spike walks out of the house and into the rain.  
  
~Jack the Lion roaring his last  
  
Like a vision sent from the past  
  
Beside crying, holding his hands  
  
Strong hands~ 


	5. Dark Eyes

I don't own Cowboy Bebop and I don't own the song 'Dark Eyes'. By the way, 'dark eyes' is an awesome instrumental by the independent group, Devotchka. Support them, they are cool.  
  
---------------------------------------------------------------------------- ------------------------------------  
  
A few months later....  
  
It was a smokey bar, in one of the more seedier areas of Mars. The woman singing her sad love song, looked as though she had seen better days, but that was all right, the occupants of the bar didn't mind too much. They were just as worn out and sad as she was, many were so drunk they couldn't even remember their own names. Spike fit right in.  
  
Even though he was too young to drink legally, Spike was already drunk enough to think that up was down and down was up. At least that's what he was pretending. Normally he would be just as drunk as the rest of them, but tonight he needed to make some money. He needed to be on top of things tonight. Can't swindle money when you're drunk off your ass.  
  
He smirked as he found his victim. The dude thought he was king of the hill, and was steadily picking off the competition at the pool table. "Good," Spike thought, "he's over confident." He observed the man a few more moments. The guy was tall, built like heavyweight wrestler. He had a mean glint in his eye, obviously thought himself tough and not one to be crossed easily. Spike smiled evilly, this man would know humility tonight. He put on a giddy smile as he sauntered drunkenly over to the "victim," feeling oddly like Paul Newman from 'The Hustler.' That was another movie that he had watched with Jack. Spike's eyes hardened a moment when he remembered Jack, then they softened again, going back to their acquired drunken stupor.  
  
"I'll thplay you." Spike sputtered out as he stumbled then leaned against the pool table.  
  
"Oh, you will, will you?" The man said with a smirk on his face. Spike fumbled around in his pocket for a bit, eventually pulling out a crumpled 100 wulong bill. The man shrugged confident that this drunk kid would be sorry later. "All right kid, you can break."  
  
Spike managed to hide his smirk. "Yep, way too over confident," he thought. He grabbed a cue stick from another table, and almost lost his act when he noticed a man staring at him from a darkened booth in the corner of the bar. The man was smirking at him, as if he knew what Spike was up to. Spike became a bit nervous when he realized who the guy was. "Red dragon," he thought when he saw the man's jacket.  
  
"Hey, man, you okay?" Spike's pool opponent was shaking his shoulder. Spike shook him off.  
  
"Yeah, Oi'm thfine. Jus' a liddle sthleepy. I'm okay," he drawled, act back in place. He leaned against the pool table and took his shot. He missed the cue ball completely, and had to take another shot at it. This time he hit it, but he hit the ball crooked and it moved only a few inches. "Oopths." Spike said, bringing his hand up to the back of his head. The other man smirked, and moved to take his shot. He hit the cue ball and got three balls to go in. Spike chuckled and said, "Hey, you're prethy good. Wanna upth the shtakeths?"  
  
The man laughed, "Hey, sure, whatever you want, you loony." He chuckled some more, "How about a thousand wulongs?" Spike stuck his hand out for the man to shake. "Sthure."  
  
The man took his shot, but accidentally shot the cue ball into a pocket. Spike yawned, happy this was going quicker than he thought it would. He studied the table for a few moments, figuring out angles, and what would be the fastest way to win. He took his shot and six balls went in. "Wow, I didn'th even know you couldth do that..." Spike giggled a bit and leaned on his cue stick, waiting for the guy to take his turn. "Hey, dumbass, it's your turn," the man said, slightly peeved that Spike didn't even know what was going on and was somehow winning. Spike went again, getting in two more balls. Soon the only ball left was the eight ball. The other guy was fuming. Spike ignored him and took the last shot. It went in. "Well, I guess you owe me a thousand wulongs," Spike said as he held out his hand to the man.  
  
"Damn you!" he yelled, obviously wanting to kick Spike's ass, but since he noticed that there were several Red Dragons hanging around the bar he instead grudgingly shoved his hand into his pocket and pulled out a thousand wulongs. Spike took it and walked over to the bar to get drunk for real. He smirked as he pulled out the guy's wallet that he had lifted from him while they played pool, and pulled out a few small bills to pay for his drinks. He lit up a cigarette and remembered when he was younger and how Jack would always get really pissed off whenever he stole something. Since he hadn't done it in so long, Spike had thought that he wouldn't be able to do it as well anymore, but apparently pick pocketing was like riding a bike. Once you learned how to do it, you never forgot.  
  
  
  
Session 5: Dark Eyes  
  
  
  
Spike walked out of the bar, only to run into the guy he had hustled earlier. The man glowers down at him as Spike shoves his hands into his pockets, and spits out his cigarette.  
  
"What do you want?" Spike asks, knowing full well what he wanted.  
  
The man tensed, bringing his hands in fists to his sides. Suddenly he grabs Spike by the shirt. "You damned punk! I want my money back!"  
  
Spike kicks him in the shin and the guy lets go of him. "Sorry, man, but a guy's gotta eat," he says, and begins to walk away. He hears the man come up behind him and turns around. The guy rushes him. "Then eat this!" he screams as he pulls back his arm, planning smashing his face in. Spike merely steps aside and sticks out his foot, tripping the man, causing him to go crashing into some trash cans across the alley. Spike watches as he gets back up with a smirk on his face. Damn it feels great to be working off some steam. The guy rushes him again and throws another punch at Spike's face. Spike evades him once again, but this time he follows up with a kick to the guy's back. The man falls down, straight onto his nose, which begins to bleed profusely. Determined, the man gets back up to face Spike again.  
  
"You don't give up easily do you?" Spike says easily as he watches him climb to his feet. The man growls and picks up a pipe approaching Spike slowly since just running at him hadn't worked earlier. Suddenly he swings the pipe. Spike narrowly dodges it and punches the guy in the gut, following with a kick to the guy's head. The man goes down again, but this time he doesn't get back up.  
  
Spike shrugs, pulls out a cigarette and lights it. Then from out of the shadows comes clapping. clap clap clap clap clap... Spike jumps and almost drops his cigarette. He whirls around and sees the Red Dragon that had been watching him from the bar.  
  
"I thought there was more to you than what met the eye. I'm quite glad to be proven right. Nicely done, by the way." He holds out his hand to Spike who looks at it as if it might be some kind of snake. The Red Dragon smirks. "I suppose you're wondering who I am. My name is Michel LeRouge, but most call me Vicious. This is because I am a beast."  
  
Vicious looks at Spike, gadging his response. "Anyway, we could use someone of your...talents working for us."  
  
Spike looks at him confused. "You're offering me a job?"  
  
Vicious smirks,"You are not known as being affiliated with the Red Dragons. It would be most beneficial for us, and you too, if you worked as a spy for us."  
  
"You want me to be a spy for you? But you don't even know me, how do you know that I'm trust worthy?" Spike asks, thinking that this is just getting weirder and weirder.  
  
"I don't. But I'm sure you're smart enough to know what will happen to you if you betray us."  
  
"Hmmmmm...." Spike thinks for a moment. He takes a puff off his cigarette. "What's the real reason you came out here? I'm sure that you Red Dragons have better things to do in your free time than go looking around for potential spies."  
  
Smirking, Vicious replies, "I like your style. I saw your little 'performance' inside and decided to see how you would handle yourself, so I paid that kindly gentleman that you see lying there to beat you up. He seemed quite amiable towards the idea."  
  
"You paid him to beat me up?" Spike asks, surprise apparent on his face.  
  
"Yes. So, do you want a job or not?" Vicious asks.  
  
Spike ponders this for a few seconds. "How much do you guys pay?" he asks a smirk on his face.  
  
"Oh, enough I'm sure. Meet me here tomorrow and I'll give you the details." Vicious smirks and turns around, heading into the darkness of the alley. Spike watches him go with an odd look on his face.  
  
"Is that guy actually carrying a katana?"  
  
  
  
------------------------------------------------------------------------  
  
Spike weaved his way through the silent city, a cigarette hanging out of his mouth and his hands in his pockets. "Well, this was one eventful night," he thought to himself. "First an easy hustle, and now I have a well paying job. Working for a syndicate no less." He chuckled. "Not just any syndicate, the Red Dragons. Boy, have I managed to get myself into a mess. I wonder what Jack would have to say about all of this." He smiled, thinking about Jack. "He was the only person who really gave a shit about me. Took me in, gave me a home for ten years, treated me like I was the son he never had." Spike frowned. "And I couldn't even cry for him. I couldn't even shed one tear."  
  
He began walking faster, then began running, almost like he was trying to out race his thoughts. He remembered when he had found Jack dying, telling him to find love. "How can I love when I can't even cry?" Spike thought, slowing down. "All I am is an empty shell. Whoever the real Spike is....whoever I am....probably died long before Jack ever found me."  
  
He stopped completely, and sat down on the curb, searching his brain for memories of who he was before. Searching for the lost emotions that he felt he lacked. And he remembered...his mother. She looked a lot like him he guessed, same wild blackish/greenish hair, same lanky build. But she had green eyes. Vivid green eyes that loved him with everything she had. And then Spike remembered the night she died, the night that had made him an orphan.  
  
Men had burst into their small apartment yelling about someone named Reed. His mother had screamed at them that she hadn't seen him in years, that he had left her. But they didn't believe her. Frightened, young Spike had hid underneath the bed and listened as they interrogated her and threatened to kill her if she didn't tell them where Reed was right now. Young Spike had tried to fight against his fear and go help her, but in the end his terror won out and he remained underneath the bed. Suddenly he heard two gunshots and a body collapsing. "Shit! We weren't supposed to kill her! You idiot! We'll be killed for this!" he heard one of them yell, heard the door open and then slam shut. Fairly sure that they were now gone, Spike had wandered into the living room and found his mother lying on the floor. "Mama?" he asked, fearing that she was dead. However, she turned over and tried to sit up. "We have to get out of here, Jon," she said, as she pulled herself up, using the couch to help her. She took Spike's hand and led him out of the apartment. Somehow they managed to make it outside, but Spike's mother was running out of time. She collapsed in the alley. Sometime during all of this, it had begun to rain. Spike took her head and put it in his lap. "Jonathan....I'm so sorry," she said to him, and then was still. Spike began crying.  
  
When he woke up, Spike realized that he had spent the entire night outside on the curb. 


	6. Why

I don't own Cowboy Bebop and I don't own the song 'Why'  
  
  
  
A few months later  
  
  
  
~I am not here~  
  
  
  
"...so we sneak around back while Roderigos and his team go in through the front. We take out the back security guards and shut down the cameras and alarms. That way we won't be caught. Chuck-" the gang leader nods in a weasly looking guy's direction, "you can handle that right?" The weasly guy nods with a grin on his face, proud of his hacking skills. Spike snorts, disgusted with the amateurity of the group.  
  
He had been spying on them for a couple of weeks. For some reason Vicious was convinced that they were going to make a hit on Red Dragon's territory soon, but Spike wasn't so sure. They weren't the smartest bunch that he had ever had the pleasure of working with, but they weren't that stupid. Well, anyway, if they were ever going to make a move against the Red Dragon's, Spike hoped that it would be soon. Because quite frankly he was bored out of his mind.  
  
  
  
~I think I've never been here at all~  
  
  
  
"psst! hey, Sandros...!" a nudge came from his side.  
  
"Huh?" Spike sat up straight realizing that he had spaced off.  
  
  
  
~Or ever will be~  
  
  
  
"Hey, were you asleep, man?" the weasly hacker asked.  
  
Spike rubbed the back of his head. "Yeah, I guess I haven't been getting too much sleep lately." The weasly guy nodded, excepting this excuse.  
  
Spike stood up abruptly. "I'm going to go to the bathroom. I'll be right back."  
  
  
  
~I feel like a place  
  
Where no one goes anymore~  
  
  
  
As he walked to the bathroom, Spike wondered why he had been so tired lately. Was it because he wasn't getting enough sleep like he said to Chuck, the hacker? Vicious had been getting on his case lately, saying that Spike was getting sloppy, that he would end up getting himself killed. Spike smiled, was Vicious actually worried about him? Maybe, they were beginning to become pretty good friends. Vicious was the first real friend Spike had ever had...except for Jack of course.  
  
  
  
~Why can't you see that everything's broken?~  
  
  
  
Even so, Spike had been feeling out of it lately. Detached, distant. Nothing seemed important anymore. Everything was a repetition of the day before, until all the days melded into one. Spike found himself taking stupid risks, blanking out at odd moments, and he often forgot where and sometimes who he was. And when he did remember, he found himself thinking that he wasn't the same person as the day before. That that was a different Spike, or a different dimension or something.  
  
  
  
~Why does it seem this life's turned grey?~  
  
  
  
When he got to the bathroom, he pulled out his communicator and called Vicious. As usual when Vicious answered all Spike got was silence while Vicious waited for him to speak first.  
  
"Well, they're planning on taking down a gas station or something," Spike said, not really expecting a response from Vicious. "I really don't think that they're a threat to the syndicate, even if, and this is a big IF, they decide to attack us," he continued.  
  
Vicious chuckled. Spike growled, "What's so damn funny? What the hell is my being here supposed to accomplish?! If you're just trying to piss me off you're doing a good job of it."  
  
  
  
~I can't believe in anything sacred~  
  
  
  
Vicious' voice came from the other line, smooth and cool, "I have a premonition. Just wait and see." He hung up.  
  
  
  
~When I don't believe that I am real~  
  
  
  
Spike angrily turned off the comm and headed back out to the meeting room. When he got there, the leader walked in and told them that the department store was out and instead they were going to rob Carbine's Casino.  
  
Spike's eyes widened. Vicious was right. Carbine's Casino was a cover business for the Red Dragons. How did he know?  
  
  
  
~I need someone to break the silence  
  
Screaming in my head~  
  
  
  
"I know this is a bit bigger than what we're used too, but we've got powerful protectors, the Black Tigers...." the leader continued but Spike didn't hear him. He had heard all he needed to know.  
  
  
  
~And in my soul~  
  
  
  
Session 6: Why  
  
  
  
~It seems so bizarre~  
  
  
  
"Give me a beer," Spike said as he sat down at the bar. The barkeep looked him over skeptically. "Aren't you a little young to be drinking?"  
  
Spike growled, "Just give me the fucking beer." The barkeep was about to answer but then he saw Spike's face. His expression was contorted in fury but at the same time his eyes were empty as he glared at the bartender. There was no emotion in Spike's eyes. They were the eyes of someone who had lost everything. Eyes so cold and vacant that it seemed that this boy was looking for death because inside he was already dead.  
  
  
  
~But none of this matters~  
  
  
  
It was one of the most frightening things that the bartender had ever seen and later he would remark that the boy looked like a demon thirsty for vengeance against the god who had thrown him out of heaven.  
  
"S...sorry, I...I didn't realize." The bartender hurried to get Spike his drink. Spike ignored him and continued to trace the knotholes in the wood his eyes. He didn't look up when Vicious came in and sat down next to him.  
  
  
  
~Thoughts disappear, hope has died~  
  
  
  
"You were right, they're making a hit on Carbine's Casino."  
  
"I thought so."  
  
Spike abruptly turned in his seat and glared at Vicious. "You knew all along didn't you?! It was the Black Tigers you were really after!"  
  
Spike glared back down at his drink. "So what's the plan? I want in."  
  
"Sorry, this is strictly syndicate business." Vicious got up and turned to leave.  
  
  
  
~Now I am safe, nothing can hurt me here~  
  
  
  
"Vish." Vicious stopped.  
  
"I don't think you understand. I owe a debt to them."  
  
  
  
~Why can't you see my need for forgiveness?~  
  
  
  
Vicious turned, then nodded. "I guess it's all right. You're practically a real member of the Red Dragon's already anyway."  
  
Spike nods and finishes off his beer. "They're hitting it tonight."  
  
  
  
Later that night, armed with two guns that Vicious had given him and plenty of ammunition, Spike snuck into the casino with the gang he had been hanging around with for the last few weeks. Unlike the rest of them however, he knew what they were really getting into. He smiled, imagining Black Tigers going down in sprays of blood and gunpowder. "This is for you, Jack."  
  
  
  
~The truth and the lies confused as one~  
  
  
  
Spike smirked as he watched as the Black Tiger members follow the gang members into the casino. "Some protectors who send in their protected first in case of ambush by the Red Dragons." Spike snuck off to the side and waited until he heard gunshots from over by the card tables. He then came from behind the Black Tigers and shot three in the back of their heads.  
  
  
  
~I can't believe in anything sacred~  
  
  
  
They went down, their blood spraying onto their shocked comrades. Spike, without any hesitation shoots five more in the chest or head, all mortal wounds. Another one of the handy things that Jack had taught him. "Jack..." Spike thinks as he ducks behind a row of slot machines, bullets whizzing by his head.  
  
  
  
~When I don't believe in anything~  
  
  
  
From his protected area he manages to take out about ten to fifteen more before getting shot in the arm. Switching his gun to his left hand Spike begins shooting again, but his aim is off. Another bullet grazes his side and he gets shot in the right arm again. He keeps on shooting, still managing to take out a few more.  
  
  
  
~I need someone to break the silence~  
  
  
  
However, he hears a noise from off to his right. Too late though. It's Chuck, the weasly hacker guy.  
  
  
  
~Screaming in my head~  
  
  
  
"You traitor!" he yells as he fires a shot at Spike. Spike tries to dodge, but he moves too slowly. He cries out as he feels a sharp pain in his left eye. He brings up his hand to his face and it comes back with blood on it. Chuck shoots him again in his chest and Spike goes down.  
  
  
  
~And in my soul~  
  
  
  
---------------------------------------------------------------------------- ----------------------------  
  
  
  
("Jack!" A young Spike runs through the house, cradling something to his chest. As he bursts into the garage he yells "Look Jack! Tweety can fly!" He's all grins as he holds his bird out and allows it to fly around the room. Jack pulls himself out from underneath the car he's working on and smiles. "You took good care of that bird, now it's time to set her free."  
  
Spike stamps his foot. "No!"  
  
Jack smiles. "But Tweety needs to be free, Spike. So she can start a family and have kids. She'll be unhappy if we keep her here."  
  
Spike stamps his foot again. "No! Tweety's my friend! I'm her family!"  
  
Jack shakes his head. "Spike, I'm sure Tweety already has a family of her own. How would you feel if someone came and took you away from me?"  
  
Spike looked down at the ground, then up at Tweety who had perched on top of the car. Then he ran over to the window and opened it. Tweety looked down at him and cocked her head. She then spread her wings and flew out the window.  
  
  
  
~I am alone~  
  
  
  
Spike ran to the window and watched her go. "Bye, Tweety!" he yelled as he waved. "Have a good life!"  
  
  
  
~Locked in my memories~  
  
He turns around and he's now in a strange place that he doesn't remember. An apartment it looks like, with yellow curtains. He sees a woman with long wild green hair sleeping on a bed. His mother. He goes over to her and nudges her, trying to wake her up. "Wake up, wake up, Mama." But she doesn't wake.  
  
  
  
~There's nowhere left for me to hide~  
  
  
  
Spike starts to cry and his tears turn to blood as they hit her. Soon, she is completely covered in blood and Spike notices bullet holes in her chest. As he watches she turns to dust. A breeze sweeps through the room and the dust is blown away. Tweety comes into the room and perches on Spike's nose. "Set me free," she says. "Set me free."  
  
  
  
~But I am not real~  
  
  
  
Spike watches as Tweety flies out the open window, her feathers changing from canary yellow to dark green. She grows bigger and becomes his mother, her green tresses billowing out behind her. Her green wings flutter behind her as she struggles to stay aloft. "Set me free, Jonathan."  
  
  
  
~I've made all I am with lies~  
  
  
  
She morphs, her features now resembling Jack's. As a Jack angel appears before him, Spike finds himself back at age sixteen. Jack looks at him, tears trailing down his cheeks. "Set me free, Spike. I don't belong here anymore.")  
  
  
  
~Why does it seem that everything's different?~  
  
  
  
"Uh...." Spike groans as he rolls over, pain coursing throughout his body. "Where am I?"  
  
"Shhhh...." comes a voice to his side. A feminine voice. Spike turns his head and sees golden tresses. It's the girl that he saw at the grocery store. He smiles up at her, still drugged. "Are you a dream?" She shakes her head.  
  
  
  
~Why does it seem that only you are real?~  
  
  
  
Spike smiles, "Then I must be in heaven." He passes out again.  
  
When he comes too, the girl is gone. Vicious is sitting beside him. Spike turns over. "How come I can't see out of my eye?"  
  
  
  
~I don't believe in anything sacred~  
  
  
  
Vicious looks up startled. "Oh, so you're conscious. Don't you remember the shoot out at the casino? You got shot in the eye."  
  
Spike brings his hand up to his eye. It feels like it's there. He gets a confused look on his face.  
  
  
  
~So why do I feel so damned alone?~  
  
  
  
Vicious smirks, "I paid for your operation to get a new one. Sometimes it takes a while for it to start sending signals to your brain. I think they said they were going to take a look at it."  
  
"Oh." Spike falls asleep.  
  
When he wakes up again, no one is sitting by his bedside. Spike sees this as his chance to make his getaway. He needs to get away from Mars for a while, think things over. He is pleased to note that his eye is finally working as he ruffles through a bag of clothes that Vicious brought him.  
  
"That guy knows me too well." Spike thinks as he pulls out a pair of jeans and a T-shirt. "He knew I wasn't going to want to stick around."  
  
Spike climbed out the window and headed down to the docking bay. He figured he could stowaway on one of them. Maybe he'd end up on Venus or something. That would be cool.  
  
  
  
~I need someone to break the silence  
  
That's screaming in my head  
  
And in my soul~ 


	7. Wash Jones

I don't own Cowboy Bebop and I don't own the song "Wash Jones"  
  
  
  
"Damn, I need a smoke," Spike thought to himself as he sat in the cramped ventilation system of the ship he had stowed away on. It was actually kind of a weird ship, there were all these odd gadgets all over the place; random parts of old cars and television screens along with rackets and power tools. In the corner sat an old beat up mono racer that looked like it would never fly again. Spike had mused after he had snuck on board the ship that the person who owned this ship probably needed to be locked away. Either that or they were some kind of mad genius; probably still needed to be locked away though. You know what they say about genius and insanity, right? There's a fine line in between.  
  
  
  
~I was talking to an oak tree  
  
When the cypress butted in~  
  
  
  
Spike had somehow managed to fall asleep when the ship finally took off. He awoke to the sounds of loud cursing and clanging noises. Trying not to make too much noise, Spike shifted around to see if he could see the owner of the ship. He was greeted with the sight of a middle aged man, in his early 40's, rough looking, like he had seen a battle or two.  
  
Spike chuckled as he watched the guy struggle with the old mono racer, "Yep, he's definitely a loony." The guy appeared to be trying to attach different parts from other planes to the racer, and apparently it wasn't working too well, hence the cursing.  
  
  
  
~Out of car parts, a raven  
  
Made a nest inside my skin~  
  
  
  
After a couple of hours, the guy had managed to attach two odd looking wings to the racer, and appeared to be dragging a huge laser from beneath some boxes and other random junk. The racer was starting to remind Spike of some Greek statues that he had seen in a museum once that were miraculously salvaged from Earth. Spike remembered reading somewhere that the Romans had replaced the arms and heads on Greek statues with different arms and heads from other statues, so they ended up having sculptures with different colored body parts. The mismatched pieces of the mono racer reminded him of those statues. He liked it.  
  
  
  
~To understand me better  
  
You all ought to follow me home~  
  
  
  
Session 7: Wash Jones  
  
  
  
~I make a wish, I clean a fish~  
  
  
  
grumble grumble grumble...Spike's stomach began to rumble. At some point he had fallen asleep again, and now all he knew was that he was very hungry. "When was the last time I ate anyway?" he thought to himself, trying to recall. "Didn't eat before getting on the ship, I don't think I ate anything at the hospital. And I had that operation... I don't think I've eaten since before that fight with the Black Tigers..." He glanced down at his stomach as it rumbled again. "Why wasn't I hungry earlier? The IV at the hospital?" Spike stopped contemplating this as he felt a pang of hunger stab him ferociously in the side. He shimmied out of the ventilation system and stretched his legs while wondering what direction the kitchen was in. Giving up, he decided to follow his nose. As he wandered the halls he vaguely wondered where the old man's room was. Even though Spike wasn't particularly worried about the consequences of him being discovered, he couldn't just throw caution to the wind. All thought ceased as he caught a whiff of grilled beef. He began running in the direction of the smell, presumably towards the kitchen. "Screw caution," was his last coherent thought for a while.  
  
  
  
~I can scream like a cicada~  
  
  
  
Spike was currently cleaning out the fridge when he heard a rough gravely voice come from behind him. "Who the hell are you..." He froze as he heard a gun being cocked. "...And what the fuck are you doing with my fridge?"  
  
Spike turned around slowly. "Umm....I can explain," he said after he pulled a hot dog out of his mouth. The guy waved him over to the supposed living room with his gun. "You had better," he said as he kept his gun trained on Spike. "Maybe you can persuade me not to hand you over to the cops."  
  
Spike gulped, he hadn't even considered the police. If he was caught by the police then the Red Dragons would be after him. He might talk, and that would be bad for the syndicate. Spike sat down on the couch, trying not to panic and trying to think of what to say to the man standing in front of him with a gun pointed at his face. To be honest, Spike wasn't even sure why he had run away. It was just his gut instinct.  
  
Spike shrugged, calmer now. "I got in some trouble so I decided to leave."  
  
The guy regarded him suspiciously. "Why'd you pick my ship then? There are hundreds more with more gullible men than me," he said, not accepting Spike's explanation.  
  
  
  
~Gin the seed right out of the bowl~  
  
  
  
Spike shrugged again, "I just picked yours randomly. At the time I wasn't thinking too clearly. I didn't have any money, so I just decided to hop a ship."  
  
The guy continued glaring at Spike, "How old are you anyway? Sixteen? Seventeen?"  
  
Spike nods, "I'll be seventeen in June."  
  
"Shit kid, how can you get yourself in trouble so young? You into drugs? Gangs?"  
  
Spike chuckled, "Kind of, but not exactly."  
  
"What do you mean 'not exactly'?" the guy yells. "And why the hell aren't you in school? That's one thing about kids these days. They blow off a good, FREE, education like it's nothing! What you kids don't realize is that not much is free in the real world! You should appreciate what you have while you've still got it, instead of hiding out on the ships of people you don't know to go planet hopping to places you've never been before!"  
  
Spike just stared at the guy, speechless. The guy, now severely annoyed, restates his earlier question, "Well? Why aren't you in school?"  
  
  
  
~Ride the train to Memphis~  
  
  
  
Finally, having managed to recover his tongue, Spike replied in a meek voice, "I graduated...a couple of years ago."  
  
The guy, prepared to go on another tirade, opened his mouth, then stopped. "You already graduated, huh? Well, then, why aren't you in college?" he said, wondering why he suddenly cared.  
  
Spike thought about this for a moment, "Well, we couldn't afford it and I didn't really want to go anyway."  
  
  
  
~Where there's cotton to be sold~  
  
  
  
"But couldn't you have gotten a scholarship?"  
  
"I tried to, for Jack, but I didn't fit the criteria. Not enough community service," Spike said, wondering why he was telling this stranger with a gun all this. Oh, yeah. The gun.  
  
"Who's this Jack? Why didn't you hit him up for help to get you out of trouble?"  
  
Spike's eyes darkened, "He died. A couple of months ago."  
  
The older man stopped. He asked Spike another question, but this time there was sorrow for the boy in his voice, "Was he close to your family? Did your parents know about it?"  
  
Spike laughed bitterly, "They're dead too. Jack found me in his backyard when I was six."  
  
  
  
~To understand this better~  
  
  
  
The man lowered his gun, "So who've you been staying with?"  
  
"No one. I can take care of myself."  
  
The older man nodded understandingly. "Well, I guess it's all right then. You can stay here. I've been needing a new apprentice anyway."  
  
  
  
~You all ought to follow me home~  
  
  
  
Spike, whose attention had gradually shifted to his shoes throughout the conversation, looked up. "Really? Me? Your apprentice?"  
  
"Sure kid, as long as you want to. And knowing me, that won't be long."  
  
Spike looked down at his shoes. "I haven't been completely truthful with you. I wasn't really in any trouble on Mars..." He looked back up. "I just needed to get away, think some things through..."  
  
  
  
~Make a wish and clean the fish  
  
That's why they call me Wash Jones~  
  
  
  
The guy smiled, "It's all right kid. By the way, my name is Doohan." He held out his hand to Spike. Spike grasped it firmly. "Spike Spiegel."  
  
---------------------------------------------------------------------------- -------  
  
  
  
"Looks like we'll be landing on Earth soon," Doohan said as he glanced out the window.  
  
"Earth! You didn't tell me you lived on Earth!"  
  
"You never asked."  
  
Spike grumbled and ran to the window. Even though he wasn't too happy about going to Earth, he had still never been off Mars before so this was something at least.  
  
He holds onto the kitchen counter as they make their landing, just waiting for a meteor to come and hit them.  
  
"Oh, come on kid, it's not that bad," Doohan says as he steps outside.  
  
  
  
~I feel like driving but my car won't run~  
  
  
  
Spike shrugged, thinking "Well if I die, I'll probably take him with me, so I won't be lonely anyway."  
  
Doohan led him to his shop and showed Spike where he'd be sleeping and such. Spike's room basically consisted of a storage closet with a bed in it, but Spike didn't mind. He'd been living in the rough for the past half year, any bed was cool with him.  
  
  
  
~I feel like plowing but my mules won't come~  
  
  
  
"So you know anything about mechanics?" Doohan asked as he showed Spike his working area.  
  
"Not really, but Jack was always messing with his car so I picked up a thing or two."  
  
  
  
~I was lost down in the bottom I  
  
was cutting through the cane~  
  
  
  
Doohan grumbled, "Well, I guess that's just as good a place as any to start...Hey, have you ever flown a plane?"  
  
Spike shakes his head, "Nope."  
  
  
  
~Tied my team up to a rusty trace chain~  
  
  
  
"Well, that's something that we should take of isn't it?" He points in the direction of the mismatched racer. "You can learn on the Swordfish II when I'm done with it."  
  
Spike looked at him quizzically, "You've made another one of those?"  
  
Doohan shook his head, "Nah, it's named after this old model air plane I used to have called the Swordfish. It's what really got me started in my career in aviation."  
  
  
  
~That's why they call me Wash Jones~ 


	8. Look to Your Orb for the Warning

I don't own Cowboy Bebop and I don't own the song "Look to Your Orb for the Warning"  
  
  
  
-A few months later...  
  
"All right, Spike, that's it, now ease up a little on the throttle."  
  
Spike had been learning to fly for a little over a month now. So far he was doing pretty well. In fact, he was doing extraordinarily well, piloting had come naturally to him. All his life, things had come naturally to him, he supposed it was because he was adaptable, he had to be.  
  
" Well, that's enough for today," came Doohan's voice over the intercom. "I don't think there's anything else I can teach you." His voice held a slight chuckle as he said this.  
  
  
  
~Going down now~  
  
  
  
" All right, I'm landing," Spike said as he lowered the nose of the plane.  
  
When they got back to Doohan's shop, Doohan went into the kitchen and walked back out again with a birthday cake. Spike regards him curiously, "What's that for?"  
  
"Happy Birthday," was his answer.  
  
Spike raised an eyebrow, "It's not my birthday."  
  
Doohan shrugged, "You told me your birthday was in June, so I picked a day."`  
  
  
  
~The mountain screamed three times today  
  
I guess it thought it'd like to play~  
  
  
  
Spike began laughing and after a few moments Doohan began chuckling also. Then, from across the room, the vid screen turned on revealing and gizzled man in his thirties. "Oh hey, Doohan. My RWD needs some repairs and I was wondering when I could bring it in."  
  
  
  
~How much does one have to pay~  
  
  
  
Doohan scratched his chin for a couple of moments, "How about tomorrow? I don't think I have anything scheduled."  
  
  
  
~To fry a peak and melt away~  
  
  
  
The man nodded, "Alright, around noon okay?"  
  
  
  
~Launching titan's breath mine~  
  
  
  
"Yeah, that's fine. Hopefully my lazy assistant will be up by then." He shot a pointed glance at Spike, who shrugged and put a piece of cake in his mouth.  
  
The man's eyes widened as he got a good look at Spike. "That your new assistant, Doohan?"  
  
  
  
~The sweating measure lands on time~  
  
  
  
Doohan nodded, "Yeah. Why?"  
  
"He's got a bounty out on him."  
  
Spike started choking on the piece of cake he was eating.  
  
  
  
~And the old man, down by the river~  
  
  
  
"For what?" Doohan asked, gruffly but worriedly.  
  
  
  
~Well he walks up and he walks on down~  
  
  
  
"Supposedly he took out about 15 Black Tiger syndicate members."  
  
Doohan turned around and asked Spike, "You do that?" Spike nodded.  
  
Doohan rubbed his temples, "Geez..."  
  
  
  
~To the spaceship that's parked at your doorstep  
  
And it's waiting to take you away now  
  
Goin' down now  
  
Goin' down now~  
  
  
  
Session 8: Look to Your Orb for the Warning  
  
  
  
Doohan glanced up from a mechanics magazine when Spike walked in carrying a duffel bag.  
  
"Where you going off too?" he asked.  
  
  
  
~Looking for the rate that crowed~  
  
  
  
Spike set the bag on a chair and started hunting around in the cuboard for some food that would keep. "I need to get out of here. Now that there's a bounty on me, they're going to find this place." He nodded at the silent vid screen. "He'll talk."  
  
  
  
~He's hooked up down in Mexico~  
  
  
  
Doohan shook his head, "Not Greg. He's a good guy, he wouldn't rat you out if he knew you were staying with me."  
  
  
  
~Slap my nerve now give me more~  
  
  
  
Spike, having found a couple boxes of cereal and some soup cans, slung his bag over his shoulder, preparing to leave. "If not him, then someone else will. The bounty must have been significant for him to have remembered my face," he sighed and his gaze became harder. "Besides, they're not going to give up until they find me."  
  
  
  
~It's my disaster friend, not yours~  
  
  
  
Doohan frowned, "Who is this 'they'?"  
  
"The Red Dragons. Only they could have known what happened that night.." Spike pulled out a cigarette and lit up.  
  
Doohan looked shocked, "The Red Dragons? The crime syndicate on Mars? Geez, kid, I even know about them and I live out in the middle of the boonies! You weren't kidding when you said you were in trouble!"  
  
Spike sighed, Doohan shouldn't have to get involved in this. He was right, he did live out in the middle of nowhere, and Spike was pretty sure he knew the reason. Doohan by nature was fairly antisocial, prefering, instead of human companionship, to work on his machines. He didn't like most people and so he lived far away from any major cities, only going to them every once in while for supplies that couldn't be shipped out to his shop. That was why he had to leave. Doohan would have to have nothing to do with the syndicate. Spike just hoped that being acquainted with him hadn't put his friend's life in danger.  
  
  
  
~And the old man, down by the river~  
  
  
  
Spike realized that Doohan was still talking. He didn't say much, but when he did he didn't stop for a while.  
  
  
  
~Well he walks up and he walks on down~  
  
  
  
"Why do you think they're after you?" Doohan asked.  
  
Spike shrugged, "I have no idea." He started heading out the door, anxious to leave.  
  
  
  
~To the spaceship that's parked on at your doorstep~  
  
  
  
"Wait," Doohan said, "I've got a birthday present for you."  
  
Spike looked at him, a smile on his face, "But it's not my birthday."  
  
Doohan threw up his hands. "Didn't we just go through this?!" He led Spike out towards the garage.  
  
  
  
~And it's waiting to take you away now~  
  
  
  
"I was going to wait, but since this'll help you out now, I might as well give it to you now."  
  
Spike regarded him curiously, what was he talking about? a ship?  
  
"She's yours," Doohan said, pointing at the Swordfish II.  
  
Spike looked shocked, "Mine? But you love this ship!"  
  
  
  
~And the last one, it's down by the river~  
  
  
  
Doohan smiled, "You've been a good assistant, Spike. Even though you often did more harm than good."  
  
  
  
~Where he gets up and he walks on down~  
  
  
  
Spike smiled, remembering how angry Doohan would get when Spike would kick one of his 'precious babies', trying to get it to start working.  
  
"Anyway, you're a good kid. I'm sure those Black Cats or whatever they were deserved it," Doohan said, patting Spike on the shoulder.  
  
  
  
~To the spaceship that's parked on your doorstep~  
  
  
  
Spike laughed, "Thanks, Doohan. I really appreciate it."  
  
As Spike prepared to take off, he heard Doohan say, "Make sure you come in every few years or so for a check up, so I can see how you're treating her!"  
  
~And it's waiting to take you away now~  
  
  
  
When Spike was flying out in space towards Mars, he thought to himself about how he really was going to miss Doohan.  
  
------------------------------------------------------------------------  
  
On Mars...  
  
Spike landed on top of an apartment building near the Red Dragon head base. After staring out at the city that had spawned him for a few moments, he headed down the fire escape, into the building. Once he was inside, he headed to apartment 183 on the first floor. Vicious had always been weird about things like that. He always wanted to be near an exit. You'd almost think that he thought that he was going to get caught in some kind of freak accident or something. But if you knew him and what he did for a living, you knew that this was not the case. He merely wanted to be able to kill the guy who had set his building on fire without looking to hard for him. That was Vicious for you. Kind of paranoid to say the least.  
  
  
  
~It's down by the river, it's always this way now~  
  
  
  
Spike rang the doorbell and after a few moments Vicious opened the door. He smirked, "I thought that the bounty would send you back here."  
  
Spike shook his head, "Only you, Vicious. Only you would set up a bounty for me, just so you could drag me back here."  
  
  
  
~It's down by the river, it's always this way now~  
  
  
  
Vicious laughed, stepping back so Spike could enter the apartment. "I've got good news for you. The Van is considering making you a member of the syndicate. If you prove yourself to them, you could be near the top of the order within a couple of years."  
  
Spike shook his head, "That's why you dragged me back here? So I could join your silly syndicate?"  
  
  
  
~Goin' down now~  
  
  
  
Vicious smirked, "Come on, Spike. You know you love it. You liked killing those Black Tigers. You're just what the syndicate needs, powerful and new blood."  
  
Spike looked doubtful, "I only killed them in revenge. Even now I regret it. That's why I left."  
  
  
  
~Goin' down now~  
  
  
  
Vicious put his hand on Spike's shoulder and smiled what appeared to be a genuine smile, "What have you got to lose, Spike?"  
  
These last words caused Spike to stop. What did he have to lose? He had no real ties, no family, no goals. His entire life seemed to consist of drifting from place to place. He had no purpose in life, perfect for syndicate functions.  
  
"All right," he said, looking back up at Vicious. "I'll join."  
  
  
  
~now, now, now~  
  
  
  
When they got to the Red Dragon headquarters, Spike got a good look at the people working there. Even though they were working for a dangerous major syndicate, they seemed relaxed, happy even. Is that what family is like? Spike wondered to himself. He looked at Vicious who was leading him through the building, up to the top floor. Will he be like my brother? My comrade in arms?  
  
Spike shrugged, figuring that he was making too much of a big thing out of this.  
  
"All right, I'm going to go in and arrange a meeting with you," Vicious said before entering the tall double doors where the Van was stationed.  
  
  
  
~down down down~  
  
  
  
After a while he came back out, "They'll see you now."  
  
When Spike walked in past the doors and looked at the three ancient men sitting before him, he felt a shiver go through him. Later he thought that he had seen his destiny then, and he wasn't all too sure he liked it. 


	9. The Snake and the Moon

I don't own Cowboy Bebop and I don't own the song "Snake and the Moon"  
  
(The grass swayed as a gentle breeze swept through the plain, the sky a deep blue, the sun just having gone down. The moon up above shined a cercelean color and cast a blue tingue on the blonde hair of the girl watching it. The breeze flowed through her long hair, causing it to sway and create intricate patterns in the air. She turned her head and lightening seemed to flash a bright eletric blue in her eyes. They then softened, and she looked sad.  
  
"This is all just a dream, isn't it?"  
  
Spike found himself wanting to go to her, wanting to hold her. "What's a dream?" he asked.  
  
She turned back to the moon and let its light touch her face. "Life."  
  
A cloud passed in front of the moon, and as her face darkened, the girl began to change. She became thinner, her legs melded together and her arms became part of her torso. Her hair curved to her back, and she became elongated and wavy.  
  
Spike watched as her face became narrower and longer until it became a snake's face, the only thing remaining the same was her eyes. Blue eyes.  
  
She slithered over Spike and began circling him. "You're a beast too, aren't you?" she asked, creeping up his leg.  
  
She coiled around his torso and up around his neck. "A beast like me," she whispered into his ear, beginning to tighten around him, squeezing the breath out of him. As it left him, he found himself becoming a snake as well.)  
  
  
  
Session 9: The Snake and the Moon  
  
  
  
"All right, Spike. Now here's your assignment....hey, are you daydreaming on me?" came a voice from Spike's left.  
  
Spike lifted his head from where it had been comfortably cradled in his arms on the table, and looked over at Vicious.  
  
"You seem just a little too eager about this entire thing. It's creeping me out."  
  
Vicious smirked at him, "I just want to see if you truly are a beast."  
  
Spike put his head back on the table, "Now, there's the Vicious we all know and love."  
  
"I thought that you would appreciate that answer. Now, anyway, you go into the bar persuade Crugere to engage in some recreational combat with you. This should be simple, I've seen you accomplish this task many times before..."  
  
"But that was different. I was only planning to rob them then," Spike interrupted.  
  
Vicious studied him briefly. "How so different? You robbed them of their money, you can rob them of their lives. It's merely a different sort of thievery. Besides, you have killed before."  
  
Enraged, Spike sat up and faced Vicious. "Once again, this is different! I don't have anything against Crugere!"  
  
Vicious calmly regarded Spike, "Spike, this man deals in human lives. He deserves death."  
  
"Then what do you call what we do?" Spike exclaimed, still mad. "The only reason the Van wants the fucker dead is because he was dealing in Red Dragon territory without permission! They don't care that he's a pimp on the side!"  
  
Vicious grabbed Spike's arm and forced him to sit down, they were beginning to draw too much attention to themselves. "Well, look at it in this light, Spike. If you disobey an order of the Van, your life might as well be over. Which life do you hold in higher regard, yours or that of some petty lowlife?"  
  
Spike let his head fall back onto his arms on the table. "I don't like it."  
  
Vicious smirked as he got up to leave. "You'll learn to. I did."  
  
Spike watched as Vicious left the bar, not bothering to acknowledge the women not so conspicuously eyeing him. He just didn't understand that guy sometimes. He had seemed so gung-ho about the whole thing, and then it was almost like he was trying to tell Spike something about himself. Had Vicious always been the way he was? Or was there some hidden lost child in there somewhere that had once laughed and cried? If so, then what happened to Vicious to make him the way he was?  
  
Spike shrugged, figuring that he probably would never know. As he ordered his second drink, Crugere walked in, a weathered looking whore on each arm. Despite their appearant happy countenances, Spike knew it was an act. Crugere forced them into the business, blackmailing them by threatening to harm their loved ones, or with the lure of narcotics.  
  
Well, at least he wasn't actually a nice guy. Spike didn't know if he would have been able to live with himself after that. -But there might be a nice guy in the future. What will you do then?- a voice from the back of his mind asked. I'll cross that road when I get to it, was his internal answer.  
  
Spike studied Crugere for a while, trying to get a feel for him. Figuring that trying to get laid free by one of the prostitutes was the best course of action towards getting Crugere to start a fight with him, Spike put on his smooth charisma act and headed over to where Crugere and his whores were.  
  
"Hey, baby," Spike crooned into one of the whore's ears, pretending to be slightly drunk. She looked slightly afraid and glanced over at Crugere, who was smiling.  
  
"I'll need to see your money first," he said to Spike.  
  
Spike looked confused, "Money?" he asked. "I don't have no money."  
  
Crugere looked slightly pissed. "Well then, she's not for sale."  
  
Spike smiled charmingly. "But what if she says she is?" He leaned toward the prostitute's face and kissed her full out on the lips. Hey, when subtley doesn't work, might as well just go for it!  
  
Spike grinned a bit when Crugere forcefully pulled him off and attempted to punch him in the face. Now we were getting somewhere! Spike thought as he ducked, then swung back.  
  
Crugere began nursing his broken nose and Spike went back to kissing the prostitute, who was actually starting to look a bit euphoric by now.  
  
Crugere pulled Spike off again, and tried to punch him again. Spike smirked, "Do you want to take this outside? I don't want to frighten the ladies."  
  
Declining to answer Crugere throws another punch at Spike, which Spike blocked. "I'll take that as a 'yes'!" Spike said grinning and pushed Crugere out the door.  
  
When they got to the alley, Spike's smile dropped as he pulled out his gun. Crugere began panicking.  
  
"Hey, man! I didn't mean nothing by it! You can go screw the bitch for all I care!"  
  
Spike shook his head, "Shouldn't have dealt in Red Dragon territory, Dusty "Angel Dust" Crugere." He put the silencer on the gun. "You might've lived a bit longer." Spike pulled the trigger and a red splash hit the wall behind where Crugere had been standing.  
  
  
  
---------------------------------------------------------------------------- -------  
  
  
  
Later at the Red Dragon headquarters, Spike was checking in to tell them that his assignment had been successfully completed.  
  
After waiting around for a while, Spike was summoned to Mao Yenrai's office. As he walked into the room, Spike noted how big it was. He could see half the city from the windows which occupied two entire walls. In the middle of the room stood an asian man in his 50's, who motioned for Spike to sit down on a leather chair.  
  
Feeling somewhat ackward, Spike decided that politeness was the way to go and waited for Mao Yenrai to say something first.  
  
Mao smiled at him and asked how Spike's first assignment went.  
  
"It was successfully completed, sir," was Spike's response.  
  
"Ah, well that's good." Mao sat back in his chair, behind his desk. He then leaned forward confidentally, "Did you enjoy it?"  
  
Spike was taken aback by this, was this guy really a high ranking Red Dragon? He sure didn't act like it, he was kind of kooky in fact.  
  
"Ummm...no." Spike responded after a few moments.  
  
Mao Yenrai regarded him silently for a couple of seconds, "Good, we don't need any more bloodthirsty animals in the syndicate."  
  
Spike inwardly breathed a sigh of relief, he was a little frightened for a few seconds there.  
  
After ruffling through his papers a bit, Mao pulled out a few sheets. "You've got a pretty good track record, been with us for about a year..."  
  
"Actually a year and a half, I worked as a spy for you guys before I joined," Spike interrupted.  
  
Mao looked pleased, "Hmmm...interesting...Well, it looks like you're just perfect for the Red Dragons. No personal ties to worry about, no girlfriend." He looked back up at Spike, "Any reason for that?"  
  
Once again flustered, Spike doesn't know how to answer this question. "Uhh...I've been kind of busy lately."  
  
Mao dropped his papers in mock shock, "Too busy for women? You can never be too busy for women!" he exclaimed. "Why, when I think about what my life would be like without my wife... I don't I could survive without her! And can she cook! Why, when she and her sister get together to cook for one of their huge Russian family meals, I always put on about 15 pounds. So do you want to come over for dinner sometime?"  
  
Spike wasn't too sure what was going on, "Uhhh...what?" he asked.  
  
Mao restated his question, "Do you want to come over for dinner sometime?"  
  
A little startled, Spike tentatively said, "Sure."  
  
Mao brightened a bit, "Great! You could stand a few more pounds on you, boy!"  
  
As Spike walked out of Mao Yenrai's office, he ran into Vicious.  
  
"So how did your assignment go?" Vicious asked him.  
  
"My assignment was successfully completed. I think that's the third time I've said that today."  
  
"I knew you had it in you."  
  
Spike pondered for a few moments. "Hey, Vish, do you have a girlfriend?" he asked abruptly.  
  
Vicious stopped walking, "Why?" he asked.  
  
Spike shrugged, "Just curious..." He grinned. " So what's her name?"  
  
Vicious's usually cold eyes softened ever so slightly, "Julia."  
  
Spike smirked, "Julia, huh? How come you've never told me about her before?"  
  
Vicious's eyes hardened again, but he smiled just a little bit. "I don't mix personal life with work."  
  
Spike stopped him, "But you could've told me, I'm not neccessarily work. We're friends aren't we?"  
  
Vicious looked a little confused at this question. "Yes, I suppose so," he says with some hesitation.  
  
  
  
(The blue snake was coiled in front of Spike's feet, its tongue flickering in and out as it tasted the air. It turned in Spike's direction, and said in a male voice, "Do not fear your Destiny."  
  
Its eyes turned black, and red markings that looked like blood splatterings appeared on his scaly body. As the clouds moved from in front of the moon and snake grew.  
  
"For Destiny fears you." With these words the snake had grown big enough that it could touch the moon in the sky. Its head darted towards it, and the snake consumed the moon in one swallow, causing everything to go dark.  
  
In the distance birds began singing.) 


	10. All Star

I don't own Cowboy Bebop and I don't own the song "All Star"  
  
  
  
Spike looked down at the piece of paper in his hand. "1083 Monte Ave, huh?" he said looking up at the house in front of him. It was a fairly large house, located in a fairly classy rich neighborhood. Ancient trees that looked as though they had grown on the street for years, loomed overhead, occasionally dropping a leaf or two to the ground.  
  
Spike looked down at what he was wearing self consciously, t-shirt, blue jeans, and a weathered leather jacket. "I hope they didn't expect me to get spiffed up," he said out loud to himself as he somewhat nervously pulled out a cigarette and lit it. It wasn't everyday that you ate at your boss's house. He sucked in a drag of smoke, and then dropped his cigarette and smooshed it into the ground. 'Well here goes,' he thought to himself and began making his way up to the front gate.  
  
  
  
~Somebody once told me the world is gonna roll me  
  
I ain't the sharpest tool in the shed~  
  
  
  
He turned around when he heard soft giggles come from behind him. It was a young girl with yellow pigtails and overalls hiding behind a tree. When she saw that he had seen him she giggled again and flipped him off. She flashed him a huge grin, knowing that she was being bad, and ran off into the trees. Spike raised an eyebrow then shrugged. Kids.  
  
  
  
~She was looking kind of dumb with her finger and her thumb  
  
In the shape of an 'L' on her forehead~  
  
  
  
He pushed the intercom button next to the gate. Mao's voice came from the other end.  
  
  
  
~Well the years start coming and they don't stop coming  
  
Fed to the rules and I hit the ground running~  
  
  
  
"What? No car? Don't we pay you enough, Spike?"  
  
  
  
~Doesn't make sense not to live for fun  
  
Your brain gets smart but your head gets dumb~  
  
  
  
Spike smirked as he listened to Mao's laughter.  
  
  
  
~So much to do so much to see  
  
So what's wrong with taking the back streets?~  
  
  
  
"I'm not old enough to have a license," he said into the intercom as the gate opened.  
  
  
  
~You'll never know if you don't go  
  
You'll never shine if you don't glow~  
  
  
  
Session 10: All Star  
  
  
  
~Hey now, you're an All Star  
  
Get your game on, go play~  
  
  
  
"Zdracvetyah!" Spike heard before being almost squeezed to death by an enormous woman. "Wha..?" he managed to get out before the woman released him.  
  
  
  
~Hey now, you're a Rock Star  
  
Get the show on, get paid~  
  
  
  
"You must be the boy Mao was talking to me about," she said, looking him over. "I'm his wife, Tatiana." Spike was a bit stunned still. "Uhh...nice to meet you Mrs. Yenrai," he stammered out. She hit him on the back causing him to choke slightly. "Don't call me that, I'm Tatia to you."  
  
Spike looked at her a little closer. She was actually quite pretty, even though she was somewhat heavy set. He could see why Mao married her. She definitely had a personality, and often that was the most important thing.  
  
  
  
~And all that glitters is gold~  
  
  
  
"Well, I'm off to tend to the borsch. Make yourself comfortable," Tatia said before heading off in the direction of the kitchen, Spike assumed.  
  
  
  
~Only shooting stars break the mold~  
  
  
  
Spike looked around at the people gathered there. A few men in a corner were discussing politics, one man was sleeping on the couch, children were running around, some younger women were over by the book shelves, gossiping. Everyone looked relaxed and comfortable. You'd almost think that this wasn't the home of an important Red Dragon member.  
  
"Ah, Spike. So glad you could make it," came a voice from behind him. Spike turned around and faced Mao.  
  
  
  
~It's a cool place and they say it gets colder~  
  
  
  
"Thank you for inviting me, Mao taijin. Seems like some party you've got going here."  
  
  
  
~You're bundled up now but wait 'til you get older~  
  
  
  
"Why thank you, Spike. By the way, just 'Mao' is fine."  
  
"All right then. Mao. Thanks," Spike said.  
  
Mao clapped him on the shoulder. "I like you, kid. Wanna meet the rest of the family? I assume you've already met the hostess."  
  
  
  
~But the meteor men beg to differ  
  
Judging by the hole in the satellite picture~  
  
  
  
Spike shrugged, "Sure."  
  
"All right, then," Mao said, and started to lead him from one person to another. "This is my brother in law, Alexei, and his sons, Petr and Dimitri," he said as he introduced Spike to some of Tatia's family. Mao then lead him into the kitchen. "This are Tatia's sisters: Olga, Marie, and Anastasia," he said referring to three of the four women cooking. Anastasia looked slightly familiar to Spike. He was sure he had seen her somewhere before.  
  
  
  
~The ice we skate is getting pretty thin~  
  
  
  
She didn't even look up from what she stirring. "You can call me Annie," she said as she set her pot on the stove and turned it on.  
  
Mao leaned over and spoke into Spike's ear. "Annie works as an undercover spy for us. She runs a drug store in the South end of town, that's also a Red Dragon hideout."  
  
  
  
~The waters getting warm so you might as well swim~  
  
  
  
Spike looked at her a bit more closely and realization hit him. He hadn't been back to that drugstore since he was six.  
  
Annie looked up, sensing his eyes on her. Her eyes narrowed, and Spike saw a glimpse of recognition in them.  
  
'Please don't let her recognize me, please don't let her recognize me,' he began pleading internally, remembering her fury.  
  
He looked back up at her, expecting the worst. To his surprise she was smiling.  
  
  
  
~My world's on fire, how 'bout yours?~  
  
  
  
"I remember you. You're Jack's little malchik. It's that green hair, it's unforgettable."  
  
Spike breathed a sigh of relief; nothing was worse than a Russian woman's wrath.  
  
  
  
~That's the way I like it and I never get bored~  
  
  
  
"How is Jack by the way? I haven't seen him in a while," she continued.  
  
Spike looked at her in somewhat disbelief. "You haven't heard? He was killed..."  
  
  
  
~Hey now~  
  
  
  
Annie looked shocked, "Killed? How? By who?"  
  
Spike shook his head and looked down, "I don't really want..."  
  
  
  
~You're an All star~  
  
  
  
Mao interjected, "It was the Black Tigers, they'd been after him for a while." He nodded in the direction of the back door, "Perhaps we should discuss this outside."  
  
When they got outside Annie nodded to Mao, "That's right, I remember him telling me once how his cover was blown. But that was over twenty years ago, why were they still after him?"  
  
  
  
~Get your game on, go play~  
  
  
  
Mao shrugged, "Black Tigers don't forgive and forget easily."  
  
"Wait a second...how was Jack involved in the Black Tigers?" Spike asked, stepping inbetween Annie and Mao.  
  
  
  
~Hey now~  
  
  
  
"He used to be a spy for the Red Dragons, just like you were Spike. He managed to infiltrate into the Black Tigers, and became a member. He rose quickly within their ranks, all the time sending us information. They never even suspected him," Mao said, looking up at Spike. "That is, until the person he trusted the most played the same trick on him. Her name was Delia, and Jack fell in love with her. She got him to tell her all of his secrets, and just like Delilah with Samson, she waited until he fell asleep, and then went to the Black Tigers with her information."  
  
Annie looked over at Mao and then at Spike. "He never told you?"  
  
  
  
~You're a rock star~  
  
  
  
Spike shook his head, "I never knew what his life was like before he met me. It seems I'm following in his footsteps, huh?"  
  
  
  
~Get the show on, get paid~  
  
  
  
Mao smiled, "Like father, like son. Or adopted son in your case."  
  
Spike stared at Mao intently. Was it just him, or was there some other kind of significance in Mao's words?  
  
  
  
~And all that glitters is gold~  
  
  
  
Mao nodded at Spike, "Let's meet the rest of the family."  
  
When they went back inside, Mao introduced Spike to Mao's side of the family.  
  
"This is my brother, Gan, and his sons Lin and Shin," Mao said, referring to a man who looked a bit like him, except with more hair, and two teenagers of about thirteen. They were identical twins and Spike could sense that they resented this. But they way they moved and watched him showed just how similar they really were.  
  
  
  
~Only shooting stars break the mold~  
  
  
  
"Spike..." Mao tapped Spike on the shoulder. "I have something to tell you."  
  
Spike turned around, and Mao smiled. "I have good news for you. You've been promoted. You're now partnered up with Vicious, you have an assignment with him tonight, he will fill you in on the way."  
  
Spike looked at Mao, surprised. "But...I don'...um..thanks...but what about dinner?" he asked when his stomach began growling.  
  
Mao chuckled, "We'll get you something to take on the way. Make sure you show up for the syndicate party tomorrow night."  
  
  
  
~Hey now, you're an All Star  
  
Get the game on, go play  
  
Hey now, you're a Rock Star  
  
Get the show on, get paid  
  
And all that glitters is gold  
  
Only shooting stars break the mold~  
  
---------------------------------------------------------------------------- ------------------------------  
  
"I can't believe I got talked into this," Spike said as he struggled with his bow tie.  
  
Vicious walked into the room, with his bow tie fixed correctly, and laughed at Spike who was now unsuccessfully trying to get his bow tie from around his neck.  
  
"You really are hopeless, aren't you?"  
  
  
  
~Somebody once asked, could you spare some change for gas~  
  
  
  
Spike put his hands on his hips and glared up a Vicious, "Well, I obviously don't have as much experience with this as you do." With these words Spike frustratedly tore the bow tie from his neck and threw it across the room. "The thing was choking me anyway."  
  
Vicious smirked, "Maybe the women won't care that you're a slob."  
  
  
  
~I need to get myself away from this place~  
  
  
  
Spike stood up and shook out his hair, brushing his fingers through it, trying to get out some of the knots. "Why are you so fixated on getting me laid?"  
  
Vicious took his katana from where it was sitting on a chair and attached it to his hip. "Perhaps then you won't be so ancy all the time. They say sex is a great stress reliever." He watched Spike forcefully pull his fingers through his hair. "Why don't you just use a comb?"  
  
  
  
~I said yep, what a concept~  
  
"Combs are for women," Spike said. "And men with long hair, like you." He gave up, and put his hands into his pockets. "Why are you bringing that thing anyway?" he said, referring to Vicious's katana.  
  
"You never know."  
  
"You're so paranoid."  
  
  
  
~I could use a little fuel myself~  
  
  
  
Later at the party...  
  
"Why am I here again?" Spike asked.  
  
"Because you need a girlfriend," Vicious answered.  
  
  
  
~And we all could use a little change~  
  
  
  
"Hey, I can get a girl on my own, you know," Spike said, getting defensive. "Besides, these society chicks kinda scare me."  
  
"They're syndicate women, and they're just as good as other women."  
  
"Nah, they probably don't even moan in bed. I bet all they do is whimper a bit."  
  
  
  
~Well, the years start coming and they don't stop coming~  
  
  
  
"Whatever, do what you like," Vicious said and headed off to the refreshment table.  
  
Spike shrugged and headed outside to get a breath of fresh air. When he got outside he leaned again the balcony and breathed in the cool night air. The stars above him twinkled a bit and he remembered something that Jack had told him once...  
  
'In the old days, sailors used to use the stars to navigate through the oceans. Back then, traveling in space was just a dream...'  
  
  
  
~Fed to the rules and I hit the ground running~  
  
  
  
"Damn I miss you, Jack..." he whispered under his breath. He looked to the side as he heard the sound of cloth rustling. In the dark, all he got was an impression of long light colored hair and a gentle yet strong voice.  
  
"Who was Jack?"  
  
Spike studied her for a bit. She was watching the stars too. "My Dad."  
  
  
  
~Didn't make sense not to live for fun~  
  
  
  
Still looking up at the sky she asked him, "Why'd you call him, 'Jack'?"  
  
Spike shrugged, "He wasn't actually my Dad. He took care of me."  
  
  
  
~Your mind gets smart but your head gets dumb~  
  
  
  
"Oh..." She glanced at him. "How was Earth?"  
  
Spike looked at her, "How'd you know I was on Earth?"  
  
  
  
~So much to do so much to see~  
  
  
  
She turned to face him. "Things get around."  
  
  
  
~So what's wrong with taking the back streets?~  
  
  
  
Spike took in a sharp gasp of air. It was her. The girl who had been haunting him for almost two years. In his thoughts, his memories, his dreams.  
  
"I know you..."  
  
  
  
~You'll never know if you don't go  
  
You'll never shine if you don't glow~  
  
  
  
She smiled, "Yeah, I know. We met in the hospital during your operation. My name is Julia."  
  
  
  
~Hey now, you're an All Star  
  
Get the game on, go play  
  
Hey now, you're a Rock Star  
  
Get the show on, get paid  
  
And all that glitters is gold  
  
Only shooting stars break the mold~  
  
  
  
_____________________________________________________  
  
Oh, by the way. If you liked this story, go check out Blessings of a Beast (affectionately called BOB) by ScarletStarlet. It's a sister story to this one told from Vicious's point of view. Enjoy! 


	11. Fade In-Out

I would like to apologize for not getting this chapter out sooner. These last two weeks have been really hectic for me; I had a band trip and I have a huge art interview in a few days that's really stressing me out. Besides that, my chemistry teacher decided it would be great fun to have 3 labs last week and a huge test. Well, anyway thanks so listening to me vent.  
  
I don't own Cowboy Bebop and I don't own the song "Fade In-Out"  
  
  
  
"So, what's the deal?" Spike asked as he climbed into the car beside Vicious.  
  
As Vicious peeled out of the lot and down the street he answered, "We have client who's getting a bit...uppity."  
  
  
  
~Get on the rollercoaster  
  
The Fair's in town today~  
  
  
  
Spike leaned back against his seat, relaxed, "Ah, I see." He watched out the window for a while, neither he nor Vicious saying anything for a bit. Finally, Spike pulled his eyes from the window and looked over at Vicious.  
  
  
  
~Y'gotta be bad enough to beat the brave~  
  
  
  
"So where are we going anyway?"  
  
Vicious answered not looking away from the road. "We're going to pick up another syndicate brat who also doesn't know how to drive yet."  
  
  
  
~So get on the helter skelter~  
  
  
  
Angrily, Spike sat up in his seat, "Hey, I know how to drive! I just don't have a license yet!"  
  
  
  
~Bowl into the fray~  
  
  
  
Vicious chuckled a bit, "That stops you?"  
  
  
  
~Y'gotta be bad enough to beat the brave~  
  
  
  
Spike looked at Vicious in semi-shock, then smiled. "I guess it shouldn't, huh?" He laughed a little. "I mean it's not like I have any qualms about breaking the law, considering my chosen profession."  
  
  
  
~You fade in-out~  
  
  
  
Vicious didn't respond, except for his smirk, so Spike resumed his gazing out the window. After a few moments, he realized that he recognized the way they were taking.  
  
"We're going to Julia's?"  
  
  
  
~You fade in-out~  
  
  
  
Vicious nodded, "She's going on the assignment with us." He pulled onto her street.  
  
Spike looked over at Vicious, "What?! But she's...I mean...she's a...."  
  
  
  
~Without a doubt~  
  
  
  
Vicious smirked, "A girl? Hmmm, Spike, I never pegged you as the sexist type."  
  
Spike responded defensively, "I'm not! It's just, she's so....I don't know, delicate."  
  
  
  
~I don't see no shine  
  
Today is just a daydream~  
  
  
  
Vicious pulled up in front of Julia's apartment. "Julia delicate? Hmmm...I suppose I can see how'd you think that. But you should never underestimate a woman. They are often the most ruthless of assassins."  
  
  
  
~Tomorrow we'll be castaway~  
  
  
  
Spike glanced over at the front door to the apartment building as Julia came out. She was gorgeous as usual, even though she had her hair pulled back into a ponytail, and she was wearing loose clothing. Spike just couldn't imagine Julia as ruthless. Her personality, she just seemed so...he didn't know...girl next door. You know, a not quite angelic, but definitely a bit of an angel. Someone who you could easily talk to, someone who needed to be taken care of.  
  
"Hey, guys. Vicious, what's the assignment?" Julia asked as she climbed into the back seat.  
  
"I'll tell you when we meet up with the rest of the group," Vicious answered.  
  
  
  
Session 11: Fade In-Out  
  
  
  
"All right, this job is an easy job, but that doesn't mean that you shouldn't have your guards up. Our Mr. Mark Rathers could have found some 'protection' if he suspected that we found him out," Vicious began explaining to the team of gangsters standing around him.  
  
~Coming in-out of nowhere  
  
Singin' rhapsody  
  
Y'gotta be bad enough to beat the brave~  
  
  
  
There weren't too many of them altogether, only about five or six, but all of them had killed before, and could do it again, and have done killed again, without any qualms whatsoever. To them it was just a job, a way of bringing the bread home. For some, like Dusty and his boyfriend Angel, being in the Red Dragons was just a way to get their kicks. Both were fairly new members to the syndicate, and didn't quite realize that perhaps maybe one day they could get sick of killing, and there wouldn't be any way out.  
  
  
  
~Sitting up in a high-chair  
  
With the devil's refugee  
  
Is gonna be-blinded by the light  
  
That follows me~  
  
  
  
The other member of the team was Estelle, who even though she was fairly intelligent, couldn't seem to keep a job, so she turned to the Red Dragons. The problem seemed to be that Estelle had a bit of a problem with being cautious. She had been fired from most of her previous jobs for being unnecessarily reckless, or for cussing out her boss. The real turning point in her life had come when she killed her husband for abusing their two year old son. The son was placed in foster care, and Estelle decided that she wouldn't hang around for the cops to catch her. Of course organized crime would take her in to its breast, on the condition that she remained loyal.  
  
  
  
~She fade in-out~  
  
  
  
"All we are going to do is drop over in the suburban area, Green Meadows, and 'accidentally' stop by Mr. Rathers's house. Now, we're not going to do anything unless he acts first, and I have a hunch he won't." Vicious smirked a little bit. "So children, please do behave."  
  
  
  
~She fade in-out~  
  
  
  
Angel began muttering under his breath, "This sucks."  
  
  
  
~Without a doubt~  
  
  
  
Dusty, catching Angel's mutterings agreed aloud, "Yeah, nothing fun ever happens around here anymore."  
  
Estelle rolled her eyes in disgust, "You two are worthless."  
  
  
  
~I don't see no shine~  
  
  
  
Julia just smiled a bit, then began checking her guns. Spike followed suit, not sure what to think of his new teammates. The other night it had just been him and Vicious out on the job, he wasn't even aware he was part of a team. But he understood the reasoning behind having a team, greater numbers were sometimes better for different situations.  
  
  
  
~Today is just a daydream  
  
Tomorrow she'll be castaway~  
  
  
  
On the drive over to Green Meadows, Estelle had been making Spike increasingly nervous. She kept on asking him questions about himself like: 'What's your name? Your real name, it can't be Spike', and how long he had been with the Red Dragons, and where he had been, and if he had a girlfriend. At the girlfriend question, when Spike had answered 'no', he knew that he had just gotten himself into something that he wasn't sure he wanted into. Sure, Estelle was all right looking, and she definitely already had a thing for him, but he himself already had a major thing for Julia. He scolded himself in disgust. 'She belongs to someone already. Your best friend.'  
  
By the time they had arrived at Mr. Rathers's front door, Spike wasn't sure what to think about the situation. Even though he felt that he and Julia were meant for each other, he also thought that being friends with Vicious felt right. It was a bad situation for Spike to be in, and he realized that he couldn't possibly have both.  
  
  
  
~We fade in-out~  
  
  
  
As Vicious rang the doorbell, Spike glanced at Julia. She wasn't even looking in his direction. He looked over at Vicious who was watching him with an unreadable expression.  
  
  
  
~We fade in-out~  
  
  
  
"I THOUGHT I SAID I DIDN'T WANT ANY! CAN'T YOU PEOPLE READ, THE SIGN SAYS 'NO SOLICITORS!' " screamed the middle aged man who had answered the door.  
  
  
  
~Without a doubt~  
  
  
  
Spike studied him for a moment. He knew that he had seen that guy before, but where?  
  
Vicious stepped up behind Rathers and held his katana against his throat. "I believe that you do want what we're selling, Mr. Rathers."  
  
  
  
~I don't see no shine~  
  
  
  
Spike almost started laughing as it hit him. Oh, yeah! This was that famous newscaster that was on CBC News all the time. He didn't know that he lived on Mars.  
  
  
  
~Today is just a daydream  
  
Tomorrow we'll be castaway~  
  
  
  
Rathers managed to croak out "Who are you?" in a worried voice, against Vicious's katana. Angel began giggling. Dusty elbowed him in the ribs.  
  
"I thought we had an agreement, Mr. Rathers. There was to be no mention of the Red Dragons in the news. Why was there a newscast about us last night?"  
  
Rathers turned pale, "I..I'm sorry! I couldn't stop it! They...they put it up on the screen without telling me!"  
  
  
  
~Get on the rollercoaster~  
  
  
  
Vicious pressed his katana against Rathers's throat even more. "But you didn't have to read it off the screen."  
  
  
  
~The Fair's in town today~  
  
  
  
Rathers began trembling uncontrollably, "But!...But I would have been fired!"  
  
  
  
~Y'gotta be bad enough to beat the brave~  
  
  
  
Vicious looked at Julia. "Julia, take out your gun."  
  
Julia nodded, and took it out of her jacket and pointed it Rathers's forehead. Cold steel glinted in her eyes, and Spike now understood what Vicious had said about her before.  
  
  
  
~So get on the helter skelter~  
  
  
  
"Mr. Rathers, I believe you are being uncooperative. Now if you want to continue being uncooperative, my associate, will shoot you in the head," Vicious said, putting his katana back in its case.  
  
  
  
~Step into the fray~  
  
  
  
Rathers rubbed his neck, glancing worriedly at Julia's gun. "I'll be cooperative. It won't happen again."  
  
  
  
~Y'gotta be bad enough to beat the brave~  
  
  
  
Vicious smirked, "Good. I wouldn't have wanted to kill a celebrity. Bad publicity you know."  
  
  
  
Spike went with Vicious to drop off Julia at her apartment. This time he sat in the back of the car, and he kept on watching the back of Julia's head, subconsciously wondering what made her tick.  
  
  
  
~You fade in-out  
  
You fade in-out~  
  
  
  
"So how long have you two been together, anyway?" Spike asked abruptly, unwilling to handle the silence that had been permeating the car.  
  
  
  
~You fade in-out~  
  
  
  
Julia glanced at Vicious, then looked back at Spike. She smiled an angelic smile at him. "Sometimes I can't remember, it seems like forever in a day." She looked back over at Vicious, and chuckled a little bit at his expression, then resumed staring out the window.  
  
  
  
~You fade in-out~  
  
  
  
They were silent for the rest of the trip.  
  
  
  
You fade in-out~  
  
---------------------------------------------------------------------------- --------------------------  
  
"You can just drop me off here," Spike said to Vicious as they neared an old oppressive church.  
  
"Here?" Vicious asked, raising an eyebrow. "You never did tell me where you did live anyway."  
  
  
  
~You fade in-out~  
  
  
  
"Here," Spike gestured toward the church with his thumb. "I knew the priest when I was a kid. He lets me crash in the basement." He moved to get out of the car.  
  
"Wait," Vicious stopped him. "I want to talk to you."  
  
  
  
~You fade in-out~  
  
  
  
Spike stopped. "What?"  
  
Vicious smirked. "I think Estelle fancies you."  
  
"Gee, how'd you get that idea?" Spike responded sarcastically.  
  
"Do you fancy her back?"  
  
  
  
~You fade in-out~  
  
  
  
"She's all right, I guess." Spike looked a bit uncomfortable.  
  
"You should give her a chance." Vicious persisted.  
  
Spike squirmed a bit in his seat. "I don't know...it just doesn't seem right somehow."  
  
  
  
~You fade in-out~  
  
  
  
They both were silent for a while. Then Vicious asked, "What do you think of Julia?"  
  
Spike was silent.  
  
Vicious nodded and looked out the window. "I see."  
  
Spike pushed open the door to the car and stepped out. "Fuck," he muttered to himself as he heard Vicious's car hurtle down the street and into the night.  
  
The moonlight poured in through the stained glass windows, creating a soft kaleidoscope of color that drifted lazily across the pews as the moon moved across the sky.  
  
  
  
~Without a doubt~  
  
  
  
Spike sat in one of the pews contemplating his existence. What was the meaning of it all? He had seen the bottom, he had glimpsed the top. There just didn't seem to be any point. The Red Dragons. Was there really any satisfaction in being involved in organized crime? It was all politics and power, both of which were fairly useless to Spike. Somehow, he had allowed Vicious to talk him into it, talk him into killing, murdering people he had nothing against. And yet, he couldn't bring himself to resent Vicious for that. For all of his faults, Vicious had become someone that Spike could rely on, even through Vicious's cold exterior.  
  
Once Spike had asked him why he was that way. Cold. Vicious hadn't answered him at the time, but a few days later Vicious had said to him right after Spike had gotten back from a job, "Phedre." That was it. Just 'Phedre'. He didn't even know what the word meant. Maybe it was a place, a person, a memory.  
  
And Julia...who was Julia? Already, all of Spike's first impressions of her were shattered. She was strong, but her spontaneous kindness blinded him to it at first. He had been haunted by her for two years, and he didn't even know her name at the time. Something about her just drew him. But...she obviously belonged to Vicious. And Vicious...  
  
was just someone that Spike couldn't bring himself to betray.  
  
Spike hung his head. Why did he torture himself like this? He should just go to Estelle. Estelle wanted him, she was pretty, she was funny. Yeah, why not?  
  
  
  
~You fade in-out~  
  
  
  
It was around 1:30 when Spike arrived at Estelle's apartment. Outside it was lightly drizzling and the moon hid behind violet clouds. As he rang her doorbell, Spike wondered if he was doing the right thing. By the time Estelle answered he had convinced himself that he had gotten over Julia and that having some fun with Estelle would take his mind off his link to Julia.  
  
"Hi," Spike said when Estelle answered. She smiled a drop dead sexy smile at him, and said 'Hi' back.  
  
  
  
~You fade in-out~  
  
_____________________________________________________  
  
Oh, by the way. If you liked this story, go check out Blessings of a Beast (affectionately called BOB) by ScarletStarlet. It's a sister story to this one told from Vicious's point of view. Enjoy! 


	12. Mindfields

I don't own Cowboy Bebop and I don't own the song "Mindfields"  
  
  
  
"Uuhhhhh...." Spike groaned and turned over, rolling off the couch.  
  
"Ooowwww..." he groaned again as he tried to push himself off the ground, his vision fading in and out, his head pounding like there was a pair of little twin drummers having a great time in his skull. He gave up, collapsing.  
  
"Hangover, huh?" said a voice from above him. "I told you not to drink so much last night." Searing pain slashed through Spike's head as light flooded the room.  
  
"Close...the..blinds..." he managed to get out through all of his pain.  
  
"Wow, that must be some hell of a hangover. Come on baby, I've got something that'll fix you right up."  
  
Spike listened as the footsteps headed in the direction of the kitchen, and attempted to roll onto his back.  
  
He had just managed to push himself up into sitting position when a glass of something was pushed in front of his face.  
  
"What is this?" he asked, apprehension showing on his face as he surveyed the egg and whatever monstrosity in front of him.  
  
"A Prairie Oyster."  
  
"A wha?"  
  
"Prairie Oyster. 1 whole egg, 1 1/2 ounce brandy, a dash of Worcestershire sauce, 2 dashes vinegar, a dash of Tabasco sauce, and a pinch of salt and pepper for flavor."  
  
Spike smelled the concoction distastefully. "Bleh," he said with a grimace.  
  
Estelle smiled prettily at him. "Just drink it," she said as she grabbed his nose with one and forced him to drink the drink with the other.  
  
After Spike had finished the prairie oyster and successfully managed to keep it down, he turned to Estelle and stated, "That was disgusting."  
  
She smiled at him again, "Yeah, but your headache is gone, isn't it?"  
  
Spike shook his head carefully, and to his surprise the hangover was nearly gone. He looked up into Estelle dark brown eyes in amazement.  
  
Estelle chuckled a bit, "Now, maybe we'll be able to out of the apartment before noon."  
  
  
  
Session 12: Mindfields  
  
  
  
"Ooohhhh....Spike, let's go see this one!" Estelle exclaimed, dragging Spike around by the arm.  
  
"Estelle, do we really have to see a movie?" Spike asked wearily. He had been dragged around the mall for two hours straight, and he didn't think that he could stand spending another two inside a cramped and smelly movie theater. "Maybe we could just go home and watch a movie there. It's a lot cheaper," he asked hopefully.  
  
"No way, Spike. I'm not going to sit through another one of your Bruce Lee movies. I can't believe I actually let you talk me into watching old crap like that." She began rifling through her purse for some money, since Spike never carried much with him, not noticing Spike's glare.  
  
Her comment had pissed off Spike a little bit. Nobody called a Bruce Lee an old piece of crap.  
  
"Besides, I've got something to talk to you about." Spike found himself staring into her brown eyes again.  
  
"What?" Spike asked, somewhat annoyed.  
  
Estelle looked down and started fiddling with her purse. "Ummm....I'm not sure how to put this...but...ummm...I think I'm pregnant."  
  
"What?!" Spike said. "You're pregnant?" he asked in disbelief.  
  
She smiled at him, "Yeah, I found out this morning. I went to the doctor's before you woke up."  
  
Spike was silent.  
  
Estelle continued, "Isn't this great! We finally have the excuse to leave this filthy planet! We can get married and live happily ever after with Aster."  
  
"Aster?" Spike said after finding his voice.  
  
Estelle looked up a him, petulant. "Our son. Or Vega if we have a girl."  
  
Spike again was silent, an unreadable expression on his face. Estelle finally noticing, got an angry look in her eyes.  
  
"What's the problem?" she asked, wringing her hands.  
  
Spike looked over at her, "I just don't know...Estelle, I don't think I'm ready for this..." He looked down at his hands. How could he be a father? These hands that killed, how could they one day hold a child? And marriage... married to Estelle, whom he knew in the pit of his soul he did not truly love. Grasping for straws, Spike opened his mouth.  
  
"We can't leave here, Estelle. You know that."  
  
She looked him in eye, steel glinting in her own. "The Red Dragons? You think they can hold US back?"  
  
Spike shook his head, bringing one of his hands to his forehead, "Yes, I do. You cannot imagine the power that the Red Dragons holds over us. We are nothing to them, we wouldn't stand a chance. They could find us across the galaxy."  
  
Estelle looked down, knowing that Spike was speaking the truth. Spike continued.  
  
"And besides that, I don't want to leave. You don't understand, I have real friends here, a home, a family. It's something I've never really had before."  
  
Images of Vicious flashed through his mind. Them smiling together, having fun together....killing together. And of course there was always Julia.  
  
Estelle stomped her foot, about to throw a temper tantrum. "You know, I thought you were the one, Spike. I thought that this baby would be the one."  
  
Spike thought about her other son, already three, ignorant of his mother's existence.  
  
Estelle's eyes began to fill with tears. "But I can see now...that I was wrong...Your stupid Red Dragons mean more to you than I do!"  
  
Spike looked down at his feet and was silent. They had started to attract attention of some of the shoppers.  
  
Estelle smiled a bit, a melancholy smile. "If you change your mind, you know where to find me..."  
  
She walked off, carrying her bags of clothing that she had just bought, and Spike just watched her go.  
  
The shoppers that had been paying somewhat attention to their conversation went back to their own, and Spike walked out of the mall like a ghost.  
  
Estelle was pregnant, and he just let her go.  
  
  
  
The city was grey. Clouds hung overhead, and wind tossed the trees's branches. Spike stood before the old catholic church, unmoving. The place where he had stayed before Estelle. Memories from his childhood flooded his mind, memories of Jack.  
  
As Spike walked inside, a figure emerged from the shadows.  
  
"Hello Vicious."  
  
For some reason, Spike had a feeling of foreboding.  
  
There was no expression on Vicious's face except for perhaps regret.  
  
Vicious's voice came in an almost whisper, "There is an assignment for tonight. I want you to get the group together and meet with the White Tigers. Since they have recently experienced a change in leadership, negotiations need to made."  
  
Spike mind went blank for a second. The White Tigers? Oh...the Black Tigers, that's right. There was a coup a week or two ago, Lorenzo Something or other was now leading it, and he had changed the name to show that the ideals and structure of the syndicate would be different. Spike considered this for a moment. Or perhaps it was mere vanity.  
  
Spike looked quizzically at Vicious. "Why am I meeting with the White Tigers? Aren't you coming?"  
  
Vicious shook his head. "No, I have a special assignment for tonight." He briefly played with the chord connecting his katana to his waist. "Julia won't be there either. She is being reassigned to another team. So it will just be you, Estelle, Angel and Dusty tonight."  
  
Spike raised an eyebrow. "Why is Julia being reassigned?"  
  
Vicious shrugged. "Orders from above. Who are we to argue?"  
  
Spike brought a cigarette out of his pocket and brought it to his lips. Something about this assignment made him feel uneasy.  
  
  
  
---------------------------------------------------------------------------- ----------------  
  
The meeting place was an empty warehouse, or at least it appeared so. But Spike knew that there would be many White Tiger members inside. Many more than Spike's feeble force.  
  
He glanced back at his team. Dusty and Angel actually seemed to be serious for once, perhaps sensing Spike's discomfort. Estelle refused to even look in his direction.  
  
When they got to the meeting place, Spike's bad feeling had gotten worse. It could almost be a premonition by now, except he had never really believed in those types of things. But even so...something about the whole situation just didn't add up. Vicious and Julia both gone on the same night, just four people to negotiate with the White Tigers? It didn't make any sense. Why didn't they send someone higher up, like Mao? And considering Spike's own past experiences with the Black Tigers....  
  
It just wasn't logical.  
  
Even so, Spike knew he had an assignment, and if he didn't complete it, he and his team might as well be dead anyway. The Red Dragons didn't tolerate insubordination very well.  
  
Spike thought to himself, 'Whatever happens, happens,' and boldly walked in through the front door, team in tow. Once he got inside, and saw the truly empty warehouse, Spike knew he had been set up.  
  
With a loud crash, all the windows in the warehouse were broken as bullets hit and whizzed through them.  
  
"Holy Shit!" yelled Dusty as a bullet nearly hit grazed his arm.  
  
They were surrounded.  
  
Operating mostly on instinct by now, Spike yelled frantic instructions to Angel, Dusty and Estelle.  
  
"Get out! Now!" he yelled.  
  
The four of them ran in different directions, nearly completely in a panic. Spike was running behind Angel, Estelle went with Dusty. They were out of the warehouse when a bullet whizzed by Spike's head, and he watched in shock as it tore through Angel's chest, a splatter of blood hitting the floor. Angel fell, a hole through his heart. At the same time a bullet hit Spike in the arm, and one hit him in the leg.  
  
Spike knelt by his side and grabbed Angel's arm, pulling him behind a parked car for cover.  
  
"Angel?"  
  
Angel opened his eyes. Blood sputtered through his mouth, it must have gotten into his lungs. Angel's eyes stared upward, unseeing.  
  
"Tell Dusty I love him."  
  
Spike watched as Angel's eyes glazed over and his chest stopped moving. He wanted to say something, but no words came.  
  
He pulled himself up, weakened from blood loss himself. But it was nothing compared to what happened to Angel. Spike began wandering along the streets surrounding the warehouse. His only thought to get away, and find out what had happened with Estelle and Dusty.  
  
As he stumbled along, his vision started to fade in and out. He moved along the walls, using them for support, falling now and then, but managing to pull himself up.  
  
After a while Spike realized that he recognized the neighborhood that he was in. It was Julia's neighborhood. And he was heading straight toward her apartment around the corner.  
  
He had almost reached her door when he collapsed, his face hitting against the asphalt.  
  
  
  
He woke up to humming.  
  
She sat in a corner of the room reading, waiting for him to wake up. When she noticed that he was awake she came to his bedside, inquiring look in her eyes.  
  
The song she had been humming was something his mother used to sing, Spike thought distantly.  
  
"Just like that, sing for me."  
  
She smiled. He did too, as he fell asleep again.  
  
  
  
When Spike woke up again, it was not Julia, but Dusty, who stayed by his bedside.  
  
Spike looked up at Dusty, who had obviously been crying.  
  
Spike was a little disconcerted for a few seconds until he remembered. "Where's Estelle."  
  
Dusty's eyes became hard. Spike remembered then that Angel was dead.  
  
"She's dead...She...she got shot in the head."  
  
Spike's eyes became blank.  
  
He looked up at Dusty once more before falling back to sleep.  
  
"He said to tell you he loves you."  
  
Dusty's sobs even penetrated Spike's dreams.  
  
_____________________________________________________  
  
Oh, by the way. If you liked this story, go check out Blessings of a Beast (affectionately called BOB) by ScarletStarlet. It's a sister story to this one told from Vicious's point of view. Enjoy! 


	13. Solidify

I don't own Cowboy Bebop and I don't own the song "Solidify"  
  
  
  
It was a beautiful day, not a cloud in sight. Even the cemetery was beautiful. Guardian angels watched over their charges, trees overhanging, casting smooth shadows over the graves. Birds twittered as they hopped from tree to tree, and the sun was bright.  
  
Spike stood before Estelle's grave. "Beloved friend and mother" was etched on the stone in front of him. Somehow, it all had to be his fault. Everything was his fault. Every person he ever touched met the same fate. Gone...  
  
Spike looked over at Julia who was standing to his left. Even though she had never really known Estelle, Estelle had been a team mate, and Julia grieved for her. If only for Spike's sake. Spike appreciated it.  
  
But, life went on, mercilessly went on, and soon, Estelle's grave was devoid of visitors, only a few white chrysanthemums left mark their passing.  
  
  
  
~Pouring in and around the great wellspring~  
  
  
  
Session 13: Solidify  
  
  
  
~Of simple feeling~  
  
  
  
As he and Julia silently walked back to her apartment, Spike's mind began to wander. After he had gotten well enough to walk around, Spike had gone to the main Red Dragon building to confront Mao about being set up. He went into Mao's office expecting to see Mao, but instead saw a different man.  
  
  
  
~I need bearing the face of your~  
  
  
  
He was tall and thin, much like Spike, but unlike Spike he had a colder presence. His gray hair was slicked back on his head, and he wore somber clothing that emphasized his thinness.  
  
  
  
~Cool cool fire~  
  
  
  
When Spike stormed into the office without even bothering to knock, and stopped dead at the sight of this unexpected stranger, the man had fixed a steely eye on him and asked, "Who are you?"  
  
Spike regained himself and curtly answered, "Spike Spiegel. Who are you?"  
  
  
  
~Walking backwards with the pounding of your voice~  
  
  
  
In the same curt manner, the man answered, "Michael Reeds." He sat down in Mao's chair, a gesture that momentarily enraged Spike. " I'm a friend of Mao's. I suppose it is he who you are looking for?" He gestured to the seat in front of Spike. "Please sit." Spike didn't sit down.  
  
  
  
~Makes my soul tired~  
  
  
  
Reeds began speaking to Spike. "I am from Arsia City. Mao asked me to stand in for him while he was away on business."  
  
  
  
~Concrete is~  
  
  
  
Spike gave Reeds a steely look, he didn't like this guy too much. "What kind of business?"  
  
  
  
~As concrete doesn't~  
  
  
  
Reeds reclined in the chair. "That's classified." He sat up and leaned forward slightly. "I've heard of you, Spike Spiegel." He lifted a file from the desk in front of him. "You have an impressive track record." He closed the file. "That is partially the reason that I'm here. I figured you would show up sooner or later, wanting answers."  
  
  
  
~And voices can drown~  
  
  
  
Spike took a small step toward Reeds, compulsively wanting to reach for his gun. "Do you know why we were set up?"  
  
Reeds chuckled a little. "They wanted to test you. To see how you would react to being in a situation where, success was unlikely. You should be pleased to know that you passed."  
  
  
  
~Why should I?~  
  
  
  
"A test? A test!? Two people died just so you bastards could see how I would react to your mind games?!" Spike yelled, reaching for the gun in his jacket.  
  
  
  
~Why should I?~  
  
  
  
Reeds shook his head. "I wouldn't do that," he said, as two armed Red Dragon members that Spike had never seen before stepped out from the shadows. Spike with his prowess, hadn't even noticed them until now.  
  
Spike put his gun away, and sat down in a chair. "So that's why Julia and Vicious weren't along on that mission."  
  
  
  
~Why should I?~  
  
  
  
Reeds smiled a little bit. "Correct. We couldn't risk such valuable members. However, the others were expendable. Those that survived would be reimbursed quite well."  
  
  
  
~Why should I?~  
  
  
  
Spike was once again reminded of how much he had already hated that guy. Something about him had just rubbed him the wrong way. Spike glanced over at Julia who was wandering in her own thoughts.  
  
  
  
~Solidify~  
  
  
  
After the "test" he and Julia had got to become pretty good friends. Spike's status had gone up after his "ordeal" as it was dubbed by some of the mocking older members who had no doubt gone through similar situations on their way to becoming powerful. He now was a free agent, sometimes he worked with a team, sometimes he was a lone assassin. Vicious's status had risen as well; often he could not speak too much about his assignments, saying they were classified. It was weird, but that was just how it went.  
  
  
  
~Make me real~  
  
  
  
And Julia, well...he felt a kinship with her that he had never felt with really anyone, except maybe Vicious.  
  
"Life is weird," Spike randomly announced as they neared Julia's apartment.  
  
  
  
~So you~  
  
  
  
Julia glanced at him, momentarily surprised. She then smiled and answered, "Yes it is. Sometimes it doesn't even seem real."  
  
"Yeah," Spike said. "Like a daydream."  
  
"A daydream." She chuckled a little bit. "Well, if life is like a daydream, then love must be like a never ending dream."  
  
  
  
~Can see me~  
  
  
  
Spike grew a bit solemn. "Death."  
  
Julia was a bit surprised, considering what she had said. "No...not death..." She looked over at Spike. "If love is anything, it's like life."  
  
Spike chuckled, his expression growing lighter. "Then a daydream must be like love."  
  
Julia smiled. " Or maybe like wishing for love."  
  
Spike turned a bit red, realizing what she was talking about. "Hey, I'm not a pervert! I don't think about things like that!"  
  
Julia laughed a little bit. "Yes, you are! I didn't even mean it that way."  
  
"Oh," Spike said, a bit flustered. He looked up at her smiling face and felt himself melting into the depth of her blue eyes.  
  
----------------------------------------------------------  
  
Julia grew strangely quiet as she let them into the apartment. "I wonder if Estelle's kid knows she's dead," she said after a few minutes of silence.  
  
Spike shrugged. "I doubt it. I don't even think he knows she's his mother. Maybe he thinks he's motherless."  
  
This statement seemed to strike a chord with Julia. "You know, I never knew my parents..." She looked down at her feet and sat on the couch.  
  
After a few moments Spike joined her. "Yeah, me neither..."  
  
Julia gave him a melancholic smile. "I guess we're two of a kind then." She looked down at her feet again. "It's kinda sad..." she began, "I don't even know my real name." She sighed. "I was found by an old man in a dumpster behind a supermarket when I was a little baby. He brought me to a nunnery, and the nuns there looked after me until I could be placed in an orphanage. They called me Jewel because I cried a lot, and my wet eyes sparkled like jewels." She laughed bitterly. "They would come to the orphanage every once in a while to check up on me. I was being called Julie by then. I never really had a last name. I would've gotten one when I was adopted, or when I was old enough to leave. Technically, my name is actually Jane Doe 127854, and I could change it if I wanted to, but I've always kind of wanted to leave it. It gives me an anonymity that makes me feel safe."  
  
  
  
~Why should I?~  
  
  
  
Julia looked up at the ceiling fan, watching it go round and round. "Life at the orphanage wasn't very pleasant," she continued. "No one really liked me, I was always getting picked on. Eventually I learned to defend myself pretty well; I stopped getting so beat up all the time. Then one day, I decided that I need to leave. I think I was twelve years old at the time. Well, I changed my name to Julia because I liked it better and when I was around fifteen, I met Vicious. He took me into the syndicate and that's where I've been ever since."  
  
  
  
~Why should I?~  
  
  
  
She looked over at Spike. "You?"  
  
  
  
~Why should I?~  
  
  
  
Spike looked over at Julia, "Well, even though I never really knew my parents, or at least my father, I got lucky." He pulled out a cigarette and lit it. "When I was around six years old, my mother died. I wandered the streets for a while, and then somehow I ended up being taken in by Jack. I stayed with Jack until he was shot in the chest by a group of Black Tigers when I was sixteen. I ended up meeting Vicious, and well, you know how it goes from there."  
  
  
  
~Why should I?~  
  
  
  
Julia nodded. "We really are two of a kind. And somehow Vicious seems to be in the middle of it."  
  
Spike took a drag on his cigarette. "Yeah. I wonder if Vicious ever knew his parents? Maybe we're three of a kind."  
  
  
  
~Solidify~  
  
  
  
Julia shook her head. "I don't know. He never told me anything about his past. I think that maybe he was raised by Mao. It seems like he's been in the syndicate for a long time."  
  
  
  
~Make me real~  
  
  
  
Spike nodded. "Yeah, it does. Has he ever mentioned a Phedre to you?"  
  
Julia shook her head. "No. Who is she?"  
  
Spike shrugged. "No clue. I don't even know if it's a person. It could be a place or something for all I know. He just mentioned it to me once."  
  
The phone rings. Julia picks it up. "Hello?"  
  
  
  
~So you~  
  
  
  
A pause. "Oh, hello Mao, I didn't know you were back."  
  
Another pause. "Oh my God. Is he all right?"  
  
Another pause. "We'll be right over!" Julia hurriedly put the receiver back on it cradle and grabbed her coat out of the closet.  
  
  
  
~Can see me~  
  
  
  
Spike stood up and put his own coat on. "What happened?" he asked urgently.  
  
Julia opened the door and practically ran out. "It's Vicious," she breathed. "He's been shot."  
  
_____________________________________________________  
  
Oh, by the way. If you liked this story, go check out Blessings of a Beast (affectionately called BOB) by ScarletStarlet. It's a sister story to this one told from Vicious's point of view. Enjoy! 


	14. How Much Longer

Sorry, for the delay, really, I don't have an excuse except for maybe laziness. Um...if you have any problems with any prejudices at all, maybe you shouldn't read this chapter. There, that's my warning.  
  
I don't own Cowboy Bebop and I don't own the song "How much Longer"  
  
  
  
"Vicious seems to be doing better," Spike casually mentioned to Mao as he walked into the crime leader's office. "So what's all this about?" he asked, glancing at the serious expression on Mao's face.  
  
Mao coughed into his hand, "Hmmm...well...I've asked you here to speak with you about bodyguards for you and Vicious." He looked at Spike, gauging his reaction.  
  
Spike's face reflected many emotions, the main one being confusion. "But why? Vicious is going to be fine, and besides I thought that it was only an accident, that someone was cleaning their pistol and it went off accidentally."  
  
Mao arched his fingers against each other on top of his desk. "Yes, well. That was the story that we gave to the authorities, but do you really think that someone as experienced as Vicious would actually let themselves get shot in such a way?"  
  
Spike furrowed his eyebrows, realizing the implications of what Mao was saying. But as it always does optimism and the belief that it can never happen to you took over. "I'm sure that Vicious was just caught off guard."  
  
  
  
~Drag this neurotic to hysterics  
  
Leave him balked and unfulfilled~  
  
  
  
"But that's just the point, Spike. It would take a very experienced assassin to catch Vicious off guard. Even so, it was Vicious's extraordinary reflexes that managed keep the bullet from puncturing and vital organs." Mao opened a drawer of his desk and pulled out a manilla folder. After shifting through a few of the documents inside, Mao began speaking again. "Over the course of the last couple of weeks, two of our best assassins have been themselves assassinated. I have reason to believe that you and Vicious, among others, have been targeted."  
  
  
  
~Holding inside outwardly patient  
  
'Till the time he'll call it~  
  
  
  
"But what good will a bodyguard do?" Spike questioned. "I mean, it's people like me and Vicious who are the best in that business. And if we're being picked off as easily as that..." His voice trailed off.  
  
Mao nodded. "I realize how this may seem absurd to you, but it's one of the few precautions we can take, considering the circumstances. Regardless, I have assigned my two nephews, Lin and Shin, to be your bodyguards."  
  
  
  
Session 14: How Much Longer  
  
  
  
"Lin and Shin? But what good can they do?" Vicious questioned Spike after receiving the news.  
  
  
  
~Alluring exotic twisted hero~  
  
  
  
Spike nodded. "I know, I told him it didn't make a whole lot of sense, to have complete newbies be our bodyguards. But he just shrugged and said, 'They need to get the experience somehow.'"  
  
  
  
~Leaving him more lonely still~  
  
  
  
Vicious smirked a bit. "I'd wager that it we who will end up playing bodyguard to the little amateurs. Mao probably figured that from the beginning, not wanting his precious nephews in any sort of danger." He suddenly began laughing uproariously, apparently finding the whole prospect quite amusing. Spike laughed along too, glad his friend was feeling better until he realized something.  
  
  
  
~He waits around~  
  
  
  
Vicious stopped laughing when he realized that his compatriot was regarding him with a look of semi-amused wonder. "What?!" he snapped at Spike.  
  
  
  
~He's spun around~  
  
  
  
Spike chuckled at more before informing him. "I've never heard you laugh before, Vicious. You just seem to smirk maliciously a lot. It's kinda odd."  
  
  
  
~And left with out the power to stop it~  
  
  
  
Vicious stared a bit at Spike before laughing again. "Yes, I guess I do." He began making faces at Spike, mocking the notorious smirk.  
  
Spike couldn't help but laugh at his friend's out of character antics. "What the hell do they have you on, Vicious? Prozac?" He grinned. "At this rate we're going to have to rename you Jolly."  
  
  
  
~Peers don't know what they can't see~  
  
  
  
Vicious made a face of disgust. "Jolly? I'd have to gain about a hundred pounds to wear that name right."  
  
  
  
~They can't see inside of me~  
  
  
  
Spike stood up and grabbed a bowl of pudding from Vicious's bedside table. "Well, let's get started then!"  
  
The screams of "NO!" could be heard from down the hall and when the identical twins Lin and Shin entered the hospital room, Spike was currently trying to cram a spoonful of the pudding down Vicious's throat.  
  
  
  
~It's sickening how comforting  
  
The privacy of the mind can be~  
  
  
  
"Um...we heard shouting..." Shin began. They watched as Spike calmly handed the spoon he had been holding to Vicious and sat down in a chair next to the bed, crossing his arms, and pretended that absolutely nothing had happened.  
  
Lin and Shin glanced at each other in disbelief. These were the two famous assassins that everyone was talking about back in the syndicate?  
  
  
  
~How much longer will I try before I realize  
  
I'm desperate in the situation that I'm in again~  
  
  
  
A silence fell over the hospital room. It was the type of silence that always seemed to happen either 20 minutes after the hour or twenty minutes before the hour. Surely enough, it was 4:20. (sorry, random American Gods reference, a good book by the way)  
  
  
  
~I'm exhausting yet another topic  
  
I've exhausted frequently~  
  
  
  
Lin ahemed into his hand, breaking the silence. "Uh...we were just told that Vicious-sama is allowed to leave."  
  
  
  
~With no regrets~  
  
  
  
Spike jumped up. "Alright, then in honor of this special occasion, we should all go out and get clobbered."  
  
  
  
It was around 9:30 at the noisy and crowed bar. Spike was on his ninth round and was getting a bit tipsy, while Lin and Shin, who had no tolerance to alcohol at all were passed out at the bar. The only one who was not at all trashed was Vicious, who was still hiding a high from his pain medication. All and all, a good combo for some sort of disaster.  
  
  
  
~Abstruce and lacking rational  
  
But making so much sense somehow~  
  
  
  
Around 9:45, Spike had picked a fight with a guy who weighed three times the size he was, over some pool game. Obviously the monster of a man had not realized that Spike and his friends were members of the friendly local DANGEROUS crime syndicate, the Red Dragons. Not that he would have cared in his current frame of mind. But if he had, maybe he would've seen the katana that Vicious crashed down on the lug's head. To his credit the katana was still in it's case, meaning that no, the thug was not dead, but yes, would be out for a while.  
  
  
  
~A stone has knocked my hourglass  
  
No progress made, no time's run out for you~  
  
  
  
"Hey..." Spike protested. "I wannad to take 'im out," he said, as Vicious supported Spike's drunken weight and lead him out into the rain, leaving Lin and Shin still passed out on the bar. "Oh no..." Spike murmured softly against Vicious's neck. "My shoes are gonna get wet." When Vicious began chuckling, Spike attempted to straighten up and pointed down at his weather beaten shoes. "No...you don' understand. I paid a lot of money for these shoes! They're gonna get ruined!"  
  
  
  
~I'd almost rather have the latter  
  
Save myself with sad defeat~  
  
  
  
Vicious laughed as he helped Spike stagger down the sidewalk. "I don't think that you have all that much to worry about, they're pretty beat up already."  
  
  
  
~A stone just broke my hourglass~  
  
  
  
Spike giggled the giggle only the drunk and insane can giggle in response as they stumbled through the night to Vicious's house.  
  
  
  
~I peel the skin that had me trapped ~  
  
---------------------------------------------------------------------------- -------------------  
  
  
  
"I feel like I've been run over by a train..." Spike thought to himself as he struggled out of sleep. As he attempted to open his eyes against the morning light, he remembered bits and parts of the dream he had had about Julia. "Damn, I'm a horny bastard, " he chuckled to himself. The chuckle stirred his headache, and Spike brought a hand to his forehead.  
  
  
  
~Peers don't know what they can't see  
  
They can't see inside of me~  
  
  
  
"Ooowwww...." he murmured as he massaged his wet fingers against his head. Wait a minute, "wet" fingers? Wha...? Spike looked down and saw that he was stark naked in a bathtub full of cooling water. "Alright, what the hell?" he thought to himself as he pulled himself out of the tub.  
  
  
  
~It's sickening how comforting  
  
The privacy of the mind can be~  
  
  
  
Spike stumbled into Vicious's bedroom. He is surprised to find an also naked Vicious fast asleep on top of his bed. It was no big deal, he had seen Vicious naked hundreds of times in the syndicate showers, but it was still a bit of a shock to find out that Vicious slept in the nude.  
  
  
  
~How much longer will I try before I realize  
  
I'm desperate in the situation that I'm in again~  
  
  
  
"Vicious, why the hell was I in your bathtub naked?" Spike abruptly asks.  
  
  
  
~I'm exhausting yet another topic~  
  
  
  
Vicious pushed himself up groggily. "You don't remember? You wanted to take a bath after last night's festivities."  
  
  
  
~I've exhausted frequently~  
  
  
  
Spike raised an eyebrow. "Last night's festivities?" Then he thought back to his pleasurable dream about Julia. Vicious stood up and began walking toward Spike. "You mean...it wasn't just a dream?" he asked Vicious.  
  
  
  
~With no regrets~  
  
  
  
Vicious smiled, leaning over, his face level with Spike's. "Nope. Not a dream." He leaned over and pulled Spike into a kiss.  
  
Spike's eyes widened, and he tried to pull away from Vicious, but Vicious held Spike's body against his own and Spike couldn't get away. "Oh my God, I'm kissing Vicious," thought Spike as Vicious continued to hold him in the kiss. Against his will, Spike began to find himself falling into the kiss as well. He was beginning to forget everything, all and any inhibitions he had ever had against this type of thing.  
  
..  
  
Spike groaned as he felt a tongue push its way into his mouth, battling his own tongue for dominance. Hands began caressing his back, and Spike pushed his own tongue into Vicious's. Mouth pushing mouth, their tongues battling furiously, Spike found his hands exploring Vicious's back, his waist, stomach, then lower....and he stopped. "OH MY GOD, I'M KISSING VICIOUS!" he screamed inside his head.  
  
  
  
~How much longer will I try~  
  
  
  
With a shout, Spike pushed Vicious away from him, and almost stumbled over his own two feet in his haste to reach the door. He hurriedly opened the door and ran smack into Reeds, the man he had seen in Mao's office. Spike stared at him for a moment or two. Reeds opened his mouth to say something, but Spike had already gone fleeing down the hall.  
  
  
  
~Before I realize~  
  
  
  
It was the scream from a little old lady that brought Spike to his senses. Realizing that he was still butt naked, he ran back down the hall to Vicious's apartment and grabbed some clothes from outside the bathroom, and fled down the hall again, this time pulling on a shirt as he went.  
  
  
  
~I'm desperate in the situation that I'm in again~  
  
  
  
Spike wearedly stumbled into the bar he had been at the night before, his clothes thrown on haphazardly, and collapsed at a table, shivering. The only thoughts running through his head were: "Oh my God. Oh my God. oh my god. oh mygod. ohmygod. ohmygod. ohmygodohmygod. ohmygodohmygodohmygodohmyohmygod..." He continued like this until one of the regulars at the bar, Lucy, sat down next to him.  
  
  
  
~I'm exhausting yet another topic~  
  
  
  
She put a hand on his shoulder and asked him if he was alright. At the his question, Spike began giggling. "Oh, I'm alright," he said. "I'm just FINE." He pushed her away. "Leave me alone," he said forcefully. "I want to be left alone." He buried his head into his arms on the table and attempting to block the entire world out.  
  
  
  
~I've exhausted~  
  
  
  
A while later he felt a feminine presence at his side. "I thought I said I wanted to be left alone, Lucy."  
  
  
  
~Frequently~  
  
  
  
He felt a hand run its soft fingers through his hair. He looked up. It was Julia. She smiled her angelic smile at him, sadly. "Rough night?" she asked.  
  
Spike smiled a melancholic smile. "You have no idea."  
  
  
  
~With no regrets~  
  
_____________________________________________________  
  
Oh, by the way. If you liked this story, go check out Blessings of a Beast (affectionately called BOB) by ScarletStarlet. It's a sister story to this one told from Vicious's point of view. Enjoy! 


End file.
